Monday, December 21, 2009

Instructions for Freedom


I have been reading the book "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert off and on throughout the year mixed in with some other books of similar themes.
I read for a little while last night before I went off to sleep and in the section where she is visiting the Ashram in India, there is this great poem/instructions that was given to Elizabeth from "the Plumber/Poet from New Zealand"

I'm not sure what it was about the words specifically, however, I found them to be so moving and they just had the most amazing impact on me - I have not been able to stop thinking about them and I really felt the need to share them...

Although I am not overly religious by any means, I do believe in a God and I do believe that there is something out there and I do believe in faith and I do believe that we all have someone watching over us to help and guide us...

Here is what he gave Elizabeth:

Instructions for Freedom

1. Life's metaphors are God's instructions

2. You have just climbed up and above the roof. There is nothing between you and the Infinite. Now, let go

3. The day is ending. It's time for something that was beautiful to turn into something else that is beautiful. Now, let go

4. Your wish for resolution was a prayer. Your being here is God's response. Let go, and watch the stars come out - on the outside and on the inside

5. With all your heart, ask for grace, and let go

6. With all your heart, forgive him, FORGIVE YOURSELF, and let go

7. Let your intention be freedom from useless suffering. Then, let go

8. Watch the heat of the day pass into the cool of the night. Let go

9. When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It's safe. Let go

10. When the past has passed from you at last, let go. Then climb down and begin the rest of your life. With great Joy

Life is too short to berate ourselves for the what if's all the time.... live, love and be free - you owe that to yourself xx

Saturday, December 19, 2009

The year has flown by and as we round the corner to the final few weeks, we would like to say thank you to our wonderful friends, supporters and family who have shared in our journey this year.
Great things have been achieved, exciting news shared and we look forward to sharing the next part of our journey with you all.
We wish you and yours a happy, safe and joyous Christmas and a 2010 filled with great adventures and love!
The Cackleberry Kids xx

Wednesday, December 16, 2009



We are co-hosting an ONLINE CHAT for Charity party on Tuesday, 22 December to raise money for Project 18 and Mummy's Wish List.
Gorgeous giveaways, great things to buy, lots of fun and all for a wonderful cause! Love to have you join us for the evening.
Donations from some very fab designers and a silent auction is being organised.... Great for spreading some Christmas cheer, whilst helping others at the same time!
Such a wonderful Random Act of Kindness from everyone involved
You can RSVP by clicking on the attached link....
Hope to see you there xx

Tuesday, December 15, 2009


We were so excited yesterday to receive the news from the fabulous team at Little Miss Stella Publicity & Media Relations that we were mentioned in the new Practical Parenting magazine as a website to watch!
Woo Hoo!!
Our heartfelt thanks to the gorgeous Stella and her brilliant team for their hard work, care and support from all of us here at Cackleberry Kids xx

Saturday, December 12, 2009

'tis the Season SALE

Happy Holidays!

We love spreading the Christmas Cheer and so we are having a SALE!!!

It's our 'tis the Season Sale and it ends Sunday at midnight.

Grab a gorgeous Organic Tee for your little one... they are 25% off - Made in Australia from 100% Certified Organic Cotton, they are soft and cosy on the skin

Looking for something beautiful for Mummy? I'm sure she would love a gorgeous Susse Collection bag... they are truly stunning! Save $90.00 off baby bags, $95.00 off handbags and $40.00 off wallets until stocks last!!

Visit us online at www.cackleberrykids.com and take advantage of our FREE worldwide postage/shipping and FREE Gift wrapping and grab something GORGEOUS!!

Ho Ho Ho .... Happy Shopping xx

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Sweet Bundle Gift Shop quietly launched late last week, with a feature in the glorious Style Collective online magazine.

But don’t see the store as just another new gift shop. Each item selected has both the gift giver and gift receiver in mind.

The Sweet Bundle gift shop brings together a range of quality and practical products in ready-made gift boxes containing items by popular brands such as Agoo, Babyjo, Made to Inspire, NudeyRudey, & Petit ; all carefully presented in a re-usable FunkyBaby box.

Also available are products by Little Billies, & coming soon Cackleberry Kids.


Lovely Essentials Box This sweet box contains:
- Circus Parade style Agoo accessories for legs
- Babyjo bamboo short-sleeved bodysuit & bamboo singlet
- 150ml Petit massage gel & 100g Petit talc.

Packed in a FunkyBaby box, then presented with a wide ivory ribbon tie & blank giftcard.
Price $62.95


Cutey Pampered Comfort Box
- NudeyRudey cloth nappy with micro-fibre insert in pale blue
- Puzzle Fun style Agoo accessories for legs
- 150ml Petit massage gel & 100g Petit talc
Price $64.45

Heart Socks & Blanket Box
- Babyjo Little Miss bamboo blanket in pink & white stripes
- 2 pairs of pink & white Agoo bamboo socks
- Made to Inspire red heart pendant engraved with the words "sweet bundle of joy" & a teddy bear
Price $49.95

Whilst shopping online with Sweet Bundle you will receive an invite to their loyalty program with your first purchase. This entitles you to 5% off storewide all day and everyday, as well as other benefits throughout the year.

The joy of giving
Sweet Bundle is a proud supporter of Project18, where 10% of sales are donated to this worthy organisation. To find out more please visit www.project18.org.au.

Sweet Bundle Gift Shop – www.sweetbundle.bigcartel.com

Monday, December 7, 2009

We are on the way to the USA



How excited were we on Friday afternoon when the call came through confirming that our application for the US programme that we had submitted for had been approved ?? ... Really excited!! There we tears, squealing, happy dancing and of course all while having a big cheesy grin for good measure.

This programme has been put together to encourage Australian companies that are either one of the top 300 in country or that are considered fast growth.

We will be part of a 4 day programme visiting the US in March 2010 where we will meet the decision makers in Government and Private enterprises looking to bring growth and development to the state and surrounding region.

Our aim over the course of this visit is to get the ground work in place to set up our US Operations. Not only will be exporting to the US, but we will have a base out of the East Coast ... exciting!!

Our goal over the coming 2 months is to get all our research finalised, appointments scheduled and be ready to meet everyone!

We are extremely proud to have been invited and now so so proud to have been approved to take part.

We can not wait to get things started and have just stepped even closer to our goals for CBK.

Thanks so much to all our gorgeous friends who have shown us support, care and encouragement!
From the bottom of my heart I am grateful to you all xx

Friday, December 4, 2009

Getting ready for Christmas


We are starting to get ready for Christmas and we are putting our tree up tonight with E.

He is so excited as this is the first year that we will be home for Christmas and he can not believe that Santa is actually going to come to our house .... "how will he find us Mummy? He normally goes to Bupcha's house?" (Bupcha is Polish for Grandmother).

So today we are going to write a letter to Santa, just so he knows where to find us! I also asked E if he wanted to ask Santa for any present in particular, and he said "No, that's ok Mummy I don't really need anything at the moment, if he could just visit, that would be great" .... awww so sweet!

Normally, we go to Sydney for Christmas as that is where both our families live, however we really wanted E to spend a Christmas in his house, in his bed and sort of start our own little tradition at home. So we spoke to our families and decided that this year was a great time to have a Canberra Christmas - it will also be my first Christmas in Canberra.... it's only been 9 years!

We've planned our menu and decided to go with a seafood theme with a twist. I have loved scouring the cook books with E looking for different things that we can cook for our Christmas lunch : ) and we've already started to trial some of the dishes. Earlier this week we made a Mango Coleslaw salad... thanks to a recipe we found in the Real Living Magazine - it was a huge hit so it's been added to our list!

Next trial is a fish dish.... hoping to give that a go on the weekend, so I'll let you know how we go!

Ho Ho Ho enjoy your day xx

Tuesday, December 1, 2009


Here's our US update... we were invited to submit an application for a fast growth / fast track business programme on the East Coast of the USA.

We submitted our application today and will find out sometime tomorrow if we've been accepted into the programme.... We were invited along with some of the biggest companies from around Australia to participate and we are the only Children's clothing company.

Our application will be signed off by the Governor of the State and to say we are honoured to even be considered for this programme is an understatement.

So should the approval come in in our favour, that would be the icing on the cake for CBK's year.

I feel so blessed and thankful for those who have had faith in me and our amazing team -it is priceless. We work hard, we stay true to our vision and we have a product that is being recognised around the world - we are worthy of this success and for that I am blessed!

We'll keep you posted on the approval tomorrow xx

Thursday, November 19, 2009

How quickly they grow up


It has been a very emotional week for me as we took the step to enrol E into pre-school.

I had been researching and reading and looking for a pre-school for him and I'll admit that I didn't have all the information I needed in the beginning and found it frustrating and confusing trying to sort our public pre-school that is Govt funded v's private pre-schools that aren't... zones and areas and all manner of obstacles here in Canberra.

I think that at one stage earlier this year, I had given up trying to sort it out but I think it was a little bit of being overwhelmed and more about being sad that my little guy was growing up all too quickly!

Especially when we are in the car and he asks me "Mummy I go to big school soon don't I" oh my goodness..... tears and everything from Mummy!

Sometimes I think that I get so upset because I suffer from the same thing that most working mums do..... GUILT and feel that I've not spent enough time with E and the more I try and fix it the worse it gets!

Realistic or not it's the way it makes you feel.

Through the haze of tears and beating myself up that I was a bad mummy - We did find a great pre-school for E and he starts next year and he is really excited. He can't wait to meet his new friends and is looking forward to doing music and all matter of things.... and that just brings a smile to my face and let's me know that I'm not doing such a bad job after all.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Fairy Bread & Cackleberry Kids


There is just something so adorable in the name Fairy Bread that you just know that you're going to be spoilt by all things sugar and spice when you visit... and you won't be disappointed!

There are the most gorgeous party ideas for your little ones. Not to mention that we are always blown away when we see those stunning cakes and all the effort that is being put into creating the most amazing parties



This month, we have joined forces with the wonderful Fairy Bread to give away one of our new Printed Organic Tees from our KIAMBU Collection. All you have to do to go into the draw is visit the Fairy Bread site and follow the three easy steps and you could win. Yes, it's that easy!!

http://fairybread.ning.com/

Fairy Bread has also put together a great Out of Africa themed party... We are in love with the Giraffe cake - it is so cute and really would you want to cut it? We all said we wouldn't!


We also LOVE the Party bag, invitation and thank you card from Plaid Kids Crafts they are also so cute!

My little guy's birthday isn't until March next year... but I'm thinking a cool Out of Africa themed birthday will be something fun to put together for him and all his little Explorer friends... we might even go on Safari with maps and binoculars in search of wild animals.... ummm my thinking cap is on!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Our Sunday Stroll

Today was another glorious day here in Canberra and it looks like the warm weather is here to stay with us for the whole week Yippee!!

We did quite a bit around the house on Saturday so that we could spend the day out and about on today.

So off we went this morning to Manuka park to play on the swings and slippery dip.... it is such a gorgeous park with lots of trees and beautiful grass.

We also noticed that the pool in Manuka had re-opened so E is very excited about that. A very lovely pool that is family focused with lots of green grass for picnics around the toddler pool with shades, trees and a pirate ship in the sand pit... always a winner!!

After much fun at the park, we decided that we would venture down to the lake and go for another walk. It was so lovely!

Even though there it was busy (yes, Canberra can get busy) it was still peaceful and we could all co-exist on the walkways and paths... lots of people out walking their dogs, riding bikes, rollerblading and running.


On the way back to the car there is a little Gelato bar. I have to say that their ice cream and Gelato is fabulous, so we sat down and enjoyed some great flavours whilst watching the boats cruise the lake...... GORGEOUS xx

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Baked Ricotta & our Tuesday off

In Canberra yesterday, it was also a public holiday for Melbourne Cup as well.... although we call it Family & Community Day, but we all know it's for Melbourne Cup!

It was another Gorgeous day here so we decided that we would get up early do some cooking and go on another picnic by the lake.


We made a Baked Ricotta with a chilli, lemon, oregano, red wine vinegar and olive oil (quite a bit!!) dressing, coleslaw, potato salad and all the other bits and pieces you need for a fab picnic! E loves to help when we cook, so he decided that he would pull the oregano leaves off the stems and pop those into the dressing.


The wind picked up toward the later part of the afternoon, so after lunch we packed up and headed home after a walk along the lake and a chat with the swans!






Must admit though, it was hard to get back into work mode this morning!


Enjoy your day xx

Monday, November 2, 2009

Gorgeous Day

On Saturday we got to go outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather here in Canberra!

Mind you we have been waiting patiently (or maybe not) for our summer weather to arrive so we went from 14 to 28 in just a few days,
but without a doubt it was worth it.

We packed up some yummy food and made our way down to the lake.

We decided on a walk along the foreshore to start off and then a spot of lunch overlooking the lake.... It was so lovely! Not too hot in the shade of the trees, some great food and lots of laughing.



After lunch we ventured off in search of ice cream.... and boy did we find some! It was the biggest ice cream cones that I've seen in such a long time. The taste was out of this world...

E selected the Chocolate of course! Daddy had the Mango, while Mummy had the most Divine Passion fruit.



A nice way to finish a wonderful day!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Should we or Shouldn't we??


For a little bit of time now we have been back and forth between do we or don't we start a newsletter.....
So we thought we would throw it open and ask for your thoughts on the issue.
Our questions for you are:

  • How often would you like to receive a Cackleberry Kids newsletter? Monthly / Bi-Monthly / Quarterly?
  • What would you like to see in the newsletter?
  • We would be looking at incorporating some guest writers into the mix. We are hosting a number of information nights and workshops and will have guest speakers on Nutrition, Allergies, Fitness for Mums & their Bubs, Fashion; shape/colour/style, Birthing coaches just to name a few.... would you like to see a snapshot of those workshops in the newsletter?
  • Give aways?
Please post your comments below.....

Thanks so much for your help - we really appreciate it as we want to make our newsletter worthwhile, relevant and interesting for you : ) xx

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Learning to accept your Good


I wrote a blog a month or so ago about being able to spend a little time on me and just take a step back... well Learning to spend some time on me and Learning to be accepting of the good things that come our way as business women, wives and mums.....

Not sure that I'm doing as well as I would have liked, however am pleased to report that small steps in a forward direction have taken place and slowly slowly catch the monkey progress has been made.

The interesting thing is that because I wrote about it on our blog, I feel a need to report in and acknowledge the small steps.... accountability?? ummm not sure!

I did receive a lovely email from someone who said that they were so happy when I posted the previous blog because they didn't feel so alone anymore.... so I made a promise to post another blog (when I felt ready) so that we could continue our journey together rather than doing it on our own.

I read a lot about many different aspects of life, love and happiness and have found quite a connection with a few of the authors that I have discovered... I find their books to be rewarding and confronting at the same time. The great thing is that I have made a commitment to learn how to better accept my Good and to accept that I am Deserving of my Good - it's proving to be such a better head space already..... even with one step forward and two steps back!

I'll keep you posted!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Let's help reach the goal


Good Morning!
Let's see if we can help Project18 reach their donations goal of $1000.00 today?

The amount needed by 5pm this afternoon is $365.00, so if you have a spare few dollars to contribute then please visit:
www.catherinebolt.com or you can use the donation widget on our blog.
There are also number of fabulous businesses that are supporting Cate and Project18, so you may prefer to purchase some of their gorgeous products and they will donate a percentage of the sale to Cate's charity!

Thanks so much... we can help change the world together!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Please meet Jenny Farrelly!

Jenny Farrelly, an emerging Australian warm glass artist has always been passionate about art and has experimented in many different mediums. “I started working with warm glass and was seduced by the freedom and excitement of creating abstract and contemporary designs through fusing glass.

My passion for the art has increased my desire to experiment and manipulate the glass by adding different metals to produce reactions. This creates great depth and texture, you can see and touch, giving life to the art.

I love colour so being inspired and captivated by nature and our beautiful Australian landscape comes easy.

The thrill I get when I have designed that special gift for a client that takes their ‘breath away’ is what makes this journey in glass the most wonderful, thrilling ride I never want to get off.
My dream is to create unique, desirable glass gifts that takes your breath away and the person you purchase for.
Without a doubt, you can see the passion in each piece of Jenny's work. The intricate details, the different techniques used to bring out the colours are breathtaking.
We are so honoured to have Jenny's gorgeous pieces in our store - they are made with love and rather than just being pieces of jewellery or a bowl, they are stand out pieces of artwork!
Unique, Stylish and Beautiful.
The Cackleberry Kids xx

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

And the Winner is.....



Hello!

A few prizes were sent out early last week for the winners of some great competitions run over the last month.

Congratulations to Alexie!!
Congratulations to Heidi, the winner of our Mumzone competition!!

A great big CONGRATULATIONS to you both and we hope that you love your prizes/gifts



Enjoy xx

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Project 18

I believe that we all have something to give back to our society, the earth and our children.

Catherine Bolt is working so hard to do just that. To provide Children with a place that they can call home, something that we all deserve - and that is just the tip of the iceberg!

I am moved beyond words at the outstanding commitment that Cate and her family have put towards this project and to help in my little way we have added the Project 18 Contribution widget to our blogpost.... please donate if you can - a little bit goes a long way.

You can also read more about Cate's project here:
http://catherinebolt.com/

Thank you,

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Friday, September 25, 2009

Our First Horse Ride


Today Lin and I went along to a Business Mum's networking function at the Kambah Playgroup Open Day, the great thing was that we could take the kids along with us.

There was so much for the kids to do and Ethan and Zoe had such a wonderful time - they both went on their very first horse ride!

It was so cool and we were very proud mums, beaming away as we walked beside them.

Ethan and Zoe were a little unsure at the start, but once they were settled onto the lovely Coco - they were so excited!! Lots of smiles and whoo hooo this is fun mummy!


It was great being there with them to share in their first horse ride.
The Cackleberry Kids xx

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Some Gorgeous New Products

We are excited to have Aspire Candles joining us in store at Cackleberry Kids & Friends here in Canberra.

Lin and I had a hard time selecting which of the lovely scents we would order, however we got there in the end and can not wait for them to arrive next week.
Last week we unpacked the beautiful selection of handbags, wallets and baby bags from Susse Collection. They were definitely the talk of yesterday's Shopping event... many mums hoping that their lovely husbands will purchase one for birthdays and Christmas!!

Have a fabulous day,
The Cackleberry Kids xx

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Exciting Times


Yesterday saw a proud moment celebrated by the Cackleberry Kids team.

We were one of 21 Finalists for the ACT's Export Awards yesterday. The awards consisted of 8 categories ranging from Arts & Entertainment, Education, Emerging Exporter, Information & Communication, Large Services, Small Business, Small to Medium Manufacturer and Small to Medium Services.


To share the stage with companies such as Aspen Medical, Beyond Business and Intelledox was such an honour. I admire these organisations, have had an opportunity to travel on a trade mission with some of them and had the absolute pleasure in speaking at a Women in Global Business Seminar with one of them!

The winner of our Category; Emerging Exporter was Windlab Systems - they are a global wind energy development company - our Congratulations to Windlab!
For us the amazing moment and honour was to be a 1st time applicant and a Finalist in our first year - such a wonderful moment and a huge milestone!!

Canberra's export community is really booming and it was wonderful to see so many local companies taking their products, technologies and know-how to the world. So not only are we proud to have been a Finalist, we are proud to be a part of this exciting community.
Thank you to my wonderful team of Advisors, Mentors, family and friends who have been so supportive, encouraging and have in some instances 'Pushed' me to keep moving forward - thank you so much.

Congratulations and thank you to our Cackleberry Kids team - Linda and Laa, who work so hard on making our dreams come true and thank you to those who have inspired us to achieve.

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Sunday, September 20, 2009

KIAMBU Collection


We have been crazy busy with finalising the release of our latest collection KIAMBU for this coming Spring/Summer season

KIAMBU means 'King' in Swahili and in keeping with our previous safari and adventure theme, we fell in love with the word and thought that it was a perfect fit for our latest range.

The KIAMBU Collection is a celebration of colour and freshness... we can not wait for the first of our new stock to arrive in the coming two weeks as we are eagerly awaiting our gorgeous new Organic tees. The cotton is just so soft and was great to work with.

Our production facility is also an accredited "No Sweat Shop Label" manufacturer, which is another aspect of this new collection that we are very proud of.
Last week we did a photo shoot with Hilary Wardhaugh and the kids were brilliant! Lots of running around and fun was had by all and we've included a couple of pictures from the day!!

Enjoy your weekend xx

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Cackleberry Kids - new website


After many long hours and lots of hard work our beautiful new website is now live!

Very proud of our team and all their fantastic work in getting it up and ready within a really short time frame.

A huge thank you to our great friends who took some time out of their busy schedules to review the site for us, give us some fantastic feedback and a list of suggested improvements.

We really do appreciate all your help and can not thank you enough!


The Cackleberry Kids xx

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Project18 & Cate Bolt


Cate needs our help 1000 fans for Charity Status on facebook. Can you please help? Project 18 is raising money to build an orphanage in Indonesia. The world needs more people like Cate - help her help others!

Catherine Bolt is a writer, photographer, humanitarian, conservationist, small business owner & mother of 9. She recently walked away from a successful business & luxury lifestyle to dedicate the rest of her life to building an orphanage & wildlife refuge in Indonesia. We are now registered as an incorporated association, under the name Project 18 Inc.The purpose of this group is to assist, promote, spread the word to like-minded individuals.

About the Indonesian Orphanage/Wildlife Refuge Project
Some Background:


"We love children, and we raise our children to love and respect the earth. I’m passionate about children and it pains me to see children suffering in any way. For those of you with children under 5, or even older, try this simple visualisation exercise for a moment:

Imagine taking your child into a crowded street at dusk, walking away from them and never going back. Imagine the fear in that child when they realise you’re gone. Imagine them wandering scared and hungry through the streets…imagine their life now, day after day.

If you can do this exercise without tears, then you are stronger than me, but for 1.8 million children in Indonesia, this is reality. Every night 1.8 million children in Indonesia sleep homeless. For most of us that number is unfathomable.

Over 50% of Indonesians survive on less than $2US per day. Of the 500,000 children in Indonesian orphanages today, almost 90% still have a living parent. They just simply cannot afford to feed them and out of desperation, many of these children are dumped in hope that someone more fortunate may be able to give them a better life.

Well, I am someone more fortunate and while my family is not wealthy, by any means, we plan to make a difference. My husband and I are both self employed, we have 9 children and we live, like many people, week-to-week. In a country like Indonesia where so many people are so very poor, a lot can be achieved with less money than one might expect. We are ordinary people, living an ordinary life – we are no different to you.

I don’t expect everyone to give up everything. I don’t expect everyone to build an orphanage. But EVERYONE can do something. Whether you donate to our project, or one of the dozens of
other aid agencies, whether you just extend the hand of friendship to a colleague or stranger or whether you just take a “man in the mirror” moment and be the change that you want to see in the world. EVERYONE has the power to make some change in the world."

I feel very fortunate to have met Cate. I cried when I read this and I cried when I told my husband about Cate's cause.. I know that not everyone can donate/contribute money, however we can all help by supporting and passing on Cate's story... everyone has the power to make a difference and I am one who is inspired by Cate, please if nothing else read Cate's blog and join her facebook Group.... Every little bit does help!


Cate's contact details:

http://catherinebolt.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=120341929496&ref=nf

The Cackleberry Kids xx


Thursday, September 10, 2009

Meet Mee a Bee and the lovely Jacqui



Mee a Bee - the label

Mee a Bee all that’s cute from Japan bags for little boys and girls
Adorable, whimsical and imagination-sparking Natural cottons and linens Fabulous prints, modern colours & practical designs

All lovingly handmade in Japan. An ever-changing collection ... for boys you might find cars, dinosaurs or pirates while little girls will love pink penguins, polka dots or ladybirds.

Mee a Bee bags spark conversation, encourage learning and imagination.You won't find mass-produced commercialised characters

Mee a Bee bags are made in limited quantities or even one of a kind. Would you like to have a special bag designed for your little one?


Who is Mee a Bee? Behind the label

New Zealander Jacqui Miyabayashi has lived in Osaka for the past thirteen years. She is the designer, seamstress and tea lady at Mee a Bee.

Jacqui studied business management and marketing at the University of Waikato before setting off on her big overseas adventure.

A few months of work and travel turned into several years. Now with a husband and two children she calls Japan home.Life as a stay-at-home mum was isolating and lonely, the web became her best friend.

Jacqui organised playgroups, book swaps and a parenting website for other expat mums living in her area. Soon she discovered other mothers selling their handmade goods online and had a light bulb moment.

Jacqui had been searching for a business she could run from home while caring for her children.Mee a Bee was born a few months after her second child and gives Jacqui the creative outlet she craves as well as the stimulation and challenge of running a business.Says Jacqui "It's what I always dreamed I would do with my life, I couldn't be happier"
From the moment we were introduced to Mee a Bee, we fell in love with these cool little bags for boys! (and of course the girls!!) When we started talking with Jacqui, we found that her creativity, design, quality and passion for introducing something different to market was aligned with ours - and I do have to say that Jacqui is right - they always start a conversation!!
We are so proud to be working with Mee a Bee and Jacqui - who is truly inspirational!!
The Cackleberry Kids xx

Monday, September 7, 2009

Father's Day


It was a beautiful day here in Canberra yesterday and we decided to stay home and have a BBQ rather than going off to a park....
We all helped get everything ready including Ethan, who set the table.

Our dog, Forrest thought it was great too as he would have been left at home if we'd gone out and he enjoyed running around with E and Daddy playing with his ball..... and being fed sausages on the side!

Relaxing outside in the gorgeous weather whilst eating lots and lots of food - thanks again to Donna Hay's fantastic recipes... chocolate fudge puddings, Tuscan bean salad, asparagus herb pasta.... and of course prawns and sausages!

We really did have a wonderful Father's day together xx

Thursday, September 3, 2009

To make someone's day...

We did a little give away for our 300th member and our lucky winner was the lovely Amanda from Little Choopie.
I am so happy to have made Amanda's day and felt very special receiving this heartfelt note from Amanda:

"Hi Kylie, I just wanted to thank you so much for the t-shirt we won from your facebook page. It was a complete and utter shock to me as I didn't even realise you were having a giveaway but such a wonderful won at that. The t-shirt it gorgeous and I can't wait to dress lucca up in a little pair of cargos and team it with the tee. it will be perfect! Also I have to say that your attention to detail is just divine. I love the cackleberry kids tissue paper and the coordinating ribbon, just perfect!! And thanl you so much for the gorgeous little extras - I know lucca is going to love the little binoculars when he works out how to use them. A big thank you as well for the lovely card you added. Its so nice to get a hand written card with such a nice message. You are so lovely so thank you so much it just made my day when my hubby brought in the post!! "

You are so welcome Amanda and I can't wait to see Lucca in his shirt!! xx

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

And the Winner is.....


Congratulations to Kym Dowrick - the winner of our Winter Warmer prize pack.

When we called Kym yesterday to let her know she was the winner, so was in shock and over the moon!

Kym had only been in the store last week and purchased a gorgeous Three Little Trees Bamboo Dress and is now the winner of the prize pack worth over $320.00!

We will post a photo of Kym and her winnings when she comes in next week to collect her prize.

Congratulations again Kym and thank you to our lovely Designer's who contributed to the prize pack!

Wishing you a joyous Spring Day xx

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Hello Spring


Good Morning!

Am so happy that today is the first day of Spring..... move on out Winter Chills and bring in the lovely warm Spring air filled with the smell of new flowers and new growth.


Canberra is so pretty in Spring, especially when Floriade is on.... flowers everywhere and an atmosphere of relaxation and fun.

Picnics, long lazy lunches, walks around the lake and lots of playing outside at the park..... Yah!!

Enjoy your first day of Spring xx

Monday, August 31, 2009

How good it feels!


You know the feeling you get when you clean out your fridge or your wardrobe... that clear, focused feeling that allows you to believe that you can do anything?

Well I have been doing some cleaning and clearing of my mind over the weekend and I have to tell you, it feels fabulous!

So many things happen to us as mums, wives, business owners and friends that we spend so much time doing everything for everybody and we neglect ourselves... Just having that 20 or so minutes to think by yourself without someone asking you a question or for something is really magical!

It allowed me to box up some stuff in my head and move it out of the way - so that I could focus on what was important to me - really priceless!!

My thinking took down on a little journey and I found that I wanted to:

Always support myself
Learn to think in positive affirmations
Thoughts & other's opinions have no power over us unless we give into them
Trust myself and my abilities
Love who you are what you do

I still have quite a bit of work to do, but I figure you have to start somewhere and this isn't such a bad place to start!

Plus what have I got to lose? My happiness is under my control!

Enjoy your day xx

Love to Dance & Draw


Although it was still very very chilly yesterday we are excited that Spring is on the way this week and we just love being outside.

On Sunday we had some sun mixed in with our windy conditions and Ethan was playing outside.... so cute watching him play his games, chat to our dog Forrest and go off on adventures.

Without him seeing me, I snuck outside to take a few photos - he was dancing away without a care in world singing and laughing....Then after taking a break from all the hectic playing, he took his sketch pad outside and sat down our deck to do some drawing.

He took his time to look around and consider what he would draw... deciding on our Olive Tree - who we call Serge.

I have to say that I was very impressed with his fantastic artwork, so we took a photo of the drawing and a very proud artist!
I love seeing Ethan use his imagination and explore different creative areas.



The Cackleberry Kids xx