Scunci Products + Reader Giveaway

Scunci hair accessories - they are my number one staple for a very glam five year old who has seriously good hair.

No, really. Look at it! Natural curls, her natural colour (obv!)... and I like to say she got it from me!

And so, the fabulous folk at Scunci have been super-kind to readers of Twinnie World and organised TWO gifts packs for you to win!

Here is what each pack contains:

Those teeny, tiny Scunci snag-free hair elastics - 180 of them!

You can never have enough of these babies

The fab new Bendini clip... so easy to use!

The above clips are monster-big!

A fabulously flexible headband

To enter, simply follow these easy steps below:

- Like the Josie's Juice Facebook page - simply click here

- Share this link on your Facebook wall

- In the comments section or on email, tell me why you'd love to win this Scunci hair accessories pack

- Email me at josiegags@optusnet.com.au

For more, click on the Scunci Australia website here.

And you can 'like' the Scunci Facebook page here and follow them on Twitter here.

Zimmiz - Soft Toy + App. Plus: reader giveaway

These cute critters are the latest craze for kids to enjoy their iPhone or iPod on a whole other level. They're called Zimmiz. Look!

It's a new soft toy and phone app for four year olds and up, developed by Big Foot Toys, and features remarkably lifelike 3D graphics, animation and sensory technology, which brings interactive fun to life.

Bringing the Zimmiz app to life is the specially-designed, adorable alien, which features a snug pocket to securely house your child's iPhone or iPod. The soft plush “suit” also features poseable hands and antennas, and an ergonomically designed sleeve on its back to carry Zimmi with.

“Children today gravitate to smart phones and tablets as much as they do to their favourite teddy bear,” said Rowan Isaacs, Marketing Director and Co-inventor of Zimmiz. “Zimmiz represents the best of both worlds. It brings play to vivid life – and sets the stage for meaningful and rewarding experiences that go far beyond those of traditional toys.”

Smart phones and tablets? In our home they are a daily tool. Especially with five year old twins, one with an autism diagnosis (hence our introduction to the world of the iPad), the Zimmiz soft toy is a welcome tool for my son's hand-me-down iPhone (which now acts as an iPod).

Zimmiz shows a range of playful emotions and reactions to the constantly-shifting stimuli it encounters – the app includes more than 300 animations and random actions for endlessly unpredictable and amusing interactive fun: Zimmiz laughs when tickled, forgets to cover his mouth when he sneezes, closes his eyes when he gets tired, becomes annoyed when poked, blows bubbles with gum, sings, repeats, fogs up the screen, chokes on his food, burps and even… farts! Yup. Love that.

When Zimmiz is dropped, held upside down or given a little shake, he may laugh, get dizzy, or, worse, get sick.

Children gain access to a whole range of cool games too – they can make their Zimmi entirely their own by customising its eyes and skin colour as well as the shape of its nose, lips, teeth and signature birthmark with millions of possible combinations.

Developed by a team led by David Smith - an animator for the blockbuster film, Happy Feet -  Zimmiz uses television-quality animation and 'foneface' technology to depict highly-detailed emotions and movements. It's powered by stunning sensory technology and high-quality 3D animation, so Zimmiz can be angelic or mischievous (like my kids... all kids!), but is always endearing, with wide-open sparkling eyes and chubby cheeks that light up the screen with incredibly lifelike facial expressions (hmmm, yes... like real-life children).

The Zimmiz app can be found at the App Store - and it's free. An Android version of the new app will follow next year. 

The Green Zimmiz plush toy retails for $24.95 and is available to buy from leading toy stores and from here.

Baby Zimmi (in pink), Girl Scouts (red) and Soldier Boy (blue) Zimmiz will be available early 2013.

You can “like” the Zimmiz page here + follow Zimmiz here and view their YouTube channel here. 

Oh, and you can win one of two Zimmiz here. Here is all you need to do:

- 'Like' the Josie's Juice Facebook page by clicking here

- Share this link on your Facebook wall

- Reply in comments below or on email why you'd like to win this for your child

- Email me at josiegags@optusnet.com.au with your address details in case you are a winner

Toilet training how-to: one mother and daughter's story

Are you in the midst of toilet training madness?

With twins now aged five, we are well and truly done in that department, but it was trying at times to say the least.

So when a friend proudly [and she darn well should be!] announced on Facebook that her daughter was toilet trained, I understood her elation. I asked her how she did it for readers of this blog, and here is what she said about the process [and yes, that's her daughter, below]:

"We have a Bumbo toilet seat that sits on top of the toilet making it comfortable for my daughter to sit. She started to show interest at around two years old, but I didn’t want to push it. When the weather warmed up and she spent more time naked at home, I started putting undies over her nappies for a few weeks and conditioning her that I was going to "throw away her nappies soon because she was a big girl."

She got it, and started to be excited about it. We did about a month of verbal conditioning. I also purchased some books about girls going to the toilet and used to read those to her regularly. A great book is “Everybody Poos” which is hilarious and has great pictures – that’s her favourite!

When we were at home I got rid of her nappy for a few weeks and told her to tell me when she would need to wee. She was diligent and never had an accident. Then she was ‘toilet trained’ but only for wees, not poos. When she needed to poo she asked for a nappy and this was happening for about two weeks. Then she became obsessed with needing her Bumbo seat.

She calls it her ‘pink potty’ – and basically would hold it in until she had her seat. This became a problem when we were out and about and a big problem at daycare. Daycare were kind enough to let me send it with her which we did for one week, and they weaned her off it. As a rule she never wanted to poo anywhere other than at home, but then my mother in law took her to the beach and she needed a poo, and she said she needed to go to the ‘public toilet’. 

Now, pooing in the public toilet has become a somewhat novelty for her (urrrrgh!!) so she loves to go to the toilet anywhere, with anyone, and without her “pink potty”. She has only had one accident in the last three months which was largely my fault – I had put undies on after her bath (she still wears nappies at night and I suspect will do so for a while given she’s now only two and a half years old), and when I was reading to her she told me she wanted to do a wee and asked if she could (thinking she had a nappy on) I said yes and ended up covered in wee. She was really upset and accused me “you forgot to put a nappy on me” but she got over it quickly. 

Now she reminds me every night before bed to put one on her! That’s just her nature though... Very bossy! 

I knew she was ready because she showed interest and understood the concept. I also knew she knew the difference between weeing in her nappy and in the toilet. We didn’t bother with ‘training pants’ or the potty, we went straight to the toilet. I would say though that the only trouble we had was that she became attached to her pink potty. Even at home she wants to use it, but now is fine not using it when out. She also loves the fact that she’s a ‘big girl’ and uses the toilet – and has incredible bladder control. I am quite proud of my little one."

And so she should be!

What have been your challenges with toilet training your child [or bonus 'fun': your twins]? Are you embarking on this journey now? Or halfway through? Or perhaps have finished the process? Share your stories in the comments section below.

'The Motherhood' feat. Fiat 500L - viral parenting rap video

A TV ad for the Fiat 500L featuring a 'mummy rap' is going viral... 

It features lines like this:

"I express, like the best, from these holes in my chest. Wear a nursing bra, like a bulletproof vest… Work versus home is a mental combination, with my elbows deep in infant defecation.'

Watch:

DVD giveaways!

It's a DVD giveaway bonanza! Enter now to win one of 5 of EACH of these titles below.
If you choose to win the 'Surfer Jeff' release from The Wiggles, you also get to win the CD version with all the new songs by the group.

All the titles have been reviewed by real-life roadtesters [read: my 4 year old twins] and they ALL get the thumbs up!

'Surfer Jeff' introduces a new slew of songs from The Wiggles which are instantly relatable for kiddies, and will have them singing along to the simple yet highly message-driven lyrics [one song called Peanut Butter talks of the allergies we need to look out for in kids, after Anthony Field's own son's experience with this]. It's a new Wiggles must-own.

'Giggle and Hoot' is another new release which kids will be enamoured with instantly. This new release is called 'Twinklify the Night' and features Jimmy Giggle and his pal the owl 'Hoot', plus some eps from your fave ABC for Kids characters: Bananas in Pyjamas, Little Princess, and Playschool. Loads of fun.

And then there's the new release from Australian super group Hi-5, called 'Sharing Stories'. New tunes, same relatable fun quintet. Also a new must-own, with some old fave songs in there: 'L.O.V.E.' and 'Wish Upon a Star.'

New for my slew of mini reviewers is the 'Mister Maker' character - but they took to him immediately. If you have curious, creative-types, this is your DVD to own. Loads of practical, try-it-now projects to experiment with.

Here's what you need to do in order to own a copy of these DVDs, thanks to Roadshow Entertainment.

- Click 'like' on Twinnie World parent site Josie's Juice [go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Josies-Juice-Blog/112183702164480]
- Tell us in the comments section below or email me at josiegags@optusnet.com.au and tell us which DVD you'd like to win and why
- Email me at josiegags@optusnet.com.au so I have a return email address if you win

[*Competition open to Australian residents only]

Childcare extended hours: would you use it?

Following on from an earlier report where some daycare centres have turned into an overnight care facility [see: http://www.twinnieworld.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/daycare-now-turns-into-overnight.html], news just in is that Childcare Minister Kate Ellis has revealed she wants to investigate removing restrictions on childcare centres being open after 6pm.

One option, reports 'The Sunday Telegraph', is that childcare centres also want discussed allowing some centres to open on Saturday in areas where there is local demand among miners and shift workers.

And nurses, doctors, firefighters and other shift workers the government is considering they also have access to more at-home care under new proposals.

"I have heard from so many parents about the added stresses of having to ensure you're out of the door at work by ten past five to get through the traffic and collect your child by 6pm," Ms Ellis told The Sunday Telegraph. "Or you face an immediate fine and a fine for every four minutes you're late after that.

Australian Childcare Alliance Gwynn Bridge spokeswoman said many centres charged $15 or more for parents who are 15 minutes late.

"You do feel sorry for parents who are rushing to pick up their children and get stuck in traffic. But what some parents don't realise is the staff have families waiting for them at home too," she said.

To read more, go here: http://www.news.com.au/news/minister-kate-ellis-reveals-plan-to-allow-childcare-centres-to-open-all-hours/story-fncvfxcm-1226437754001#ixzz223MWKEGK

What do you think? Would you welcome this move? Have you ever been penalised?

Daycare now turns into overnight minding. Would you use this service?

Would you consider overnight child minding?

This is the new wave of babysitting - family daycare centres are now changing their hours and opening overnight and on weekends to suit a growing number of parents who now work unusual, non-traditional hours.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of people working non-business hours is up 15 per cent.

And more than one in three worked extra hours or overtime, and almost 60 per cent had no say in their start time and finish times.

In an article in the Sunday Telegraph published yesterday, the newspaper cites a recent survey by Family Day Care Australia of more than 300 providers found 12 per cent provided overnight care, while 14.4 per cent had weekend care.

"Gone are the days of the standard nine to five work day," Family Day Care Australia CEO Carla Northam said.

"Statistics show more and more parents are having to work outside of normal hours, whether they be shift workers, emergency services employees, casuals or executives. Family daycare provides parents flexible childcare, with many educators providing care around the clock."

World Tower Child Care in Sydney's CBD offers working parents a 24-hour childcare service to meet demand.

"There is a need for 24-hour care," centre director Laura Silvera told the Sunday Telegraph. "But the bulk of our work is done to suit working parents, so long daycare hours are from 7am to 7pm."

Ms Silvera told the newspaper that many executives attended after-work functions and required unusual childcare hours. "Parents have to work longer and attend more meetings," she said.

Me? Well I know that when I have done contract work for companies, I stipulate before I start that I must leave work at 4pm, in order to make it in time to pick up my kids. I actually don't mind that I have this curfew, and they don't mind because they know that I work like a maniac to finish all the tasks I set myself for the day. So they're kinda getting some damn good value for money with me.

What about you? Would you like this extended care for kids? I can absolutely see a need for it. But then, do the lines between work and leisure time [and more importantly, time you spend with your children] get incredibly blurred? And where does it end?

Share your stories and thoughts here.

And read more on the Sunday Telegraph piece here:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/daycare-turns-into-overnight-minding/story-e6freuzi-1226413268343