Lolita's first photoshoot with Australia's BEST eco nappies - Comfy Koalas

Hello and welcome back to my blog beautiful people. Thanks for stopping by- It’s been a while and I am not consistent but life has been wild and busy and great to be honest. I had to do this blog post because my baby girl Lolita was asked to be a part of a photoshoot for Australia’s best environmentally friendly nappy company- Comfy Koalas and well, that needs documenting haha. I just received the professional images and have been waiting on that to post so here it is and wiiii I love them.

I suppose it would be best to start at the start and that would be way back in 2015 when I was pregnant with Romeo. I would say this was the turning point in my life when I started to give a sh*t about what was going into my body, the environment and living as toxic free as I could. It is odd that myself and many others needed to be pregnant to have this switch in mindset but suddenly, knowing I was growing life, made me so much more conscious of what I was consuming indirectly and directly.
Then started the research of baby items such as nappies and wipes and all of that plus the environmental impact of the choice you make as an individual and whoaaaaaa my mind got blown. Nappies like Huggies take 500 years to break down…500 ! So that mean the first nappy that was invented has not disintegrated eeek. Not only that but they contain a variety of toxins like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Dioxins, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tributyl-tin (TBT), Dyes, Fragrances, Petrolatums, Plastics, Phthalates and Adhesive chemicals. The thought of these being against my babies skin for me was a no-go so I chose an Australian company who sold bamboo nappies. A year and a half later Romeo was toilet trained and my nappy buying came to an end until Lolita was born.

So back to the shoot and how it came about. Lolita isn’t part of a modelling agency which was the main question I was asked when I posted on my Instagram story. The opportunity came about as I had just found a family owned, Australian eco nappy company based in New South Wales providing bamboo nappies very cheap with free delivery and 30% off the first box. A great incentive from Comfy Koalas!
I loved their branding - coming from a design background I think I look into branding more then the average person lol. It’s fun and quirky- not your usual nappy style marketing.
Comfy Koalas were new to the nappy scene (launching early 2020) and I was excited to support a fellow small business and give them a go!
A few months later I received an email from Comfy Koalas thanking me for my support ( which is something they regularly do anyways as well as checking in on how we are finding the nappies, if we have any queries etc which is amazing and personal ) as well as asking if Lola would like to partake in their up-coming shoot for their socials and website content.
Of course I said yes- I’ve done a few shoots myself, some professional and some for friends ( Aperol Spritz, Edwards and Co + Emma Chen Artistry were some of my fave) but never at the age of under one. I was excited to get some professional pictures of her as we didn’t do any newborn shoots or anything.

So the photoshoot for Comfy Koalas was held in North Sydney in a studio with two other babies and it was the quickest shoot I’ve ever been on. I was able to meet the owners and employee’s of Comfy Koalas- everyone was very friendly, down to earth and passionate about their company which I love. They were genuinely excited about their company and I think that is so important as a small business owner cause dangggg, business can be tough so having that passion really makes things seem less like work.
Lolita did really well for her first shoot. She was teething which you will be able to tell from the photo’s but she was pretty happy and comfortable in front of the camera. They had some cute props like a hand made Comfy Koalas box tower, a Koala towel and toy, balls and shiny things as props to keep the bubs happy. Romeo was also a big help as Lola is so obsessed with him so he was making her smile, cuteee. And I got to be a in few pics so these will be something I can look back on in 20 years time and reminiscence.

I definitely will be a permanent customer with Comfy Koalas until Lolita is out of nappies.
I love that they are SUPER soft with no unnecessary plastic or ink on them. I have never understood why nappies need so much toxic ink on them as it’s not like the bubs even know what image is on them (marketing to the adults I suppose ). She never leaks even after a full nights sleep. Sure the nappy is full but at least it doesn’t leak over the bed. We co-sleep so I don’t want to be changing the sheets every day lol. They are hypo-allergic and dermatologically tested so she has never had nappy rash caused from the nappy. I think this is a massive bonus especially when they are newborns. I would love to see these nappies in the hospitals instead of big name brands full of toxic crap.
And call me lazy but the fact they are delivered for free to my door is a massive bonus. Buying a box and having a monthly subscription benefits me as 9/10 I have Lolita in the baby carrier so carrying bulky nappies and other shopping items is pretty impossible. The monthly plan is super flexible. We went to Byron Bay this month and that was when my nappies were due to arrive so I received them a week earlier. The month before that we hadn’t gone through as many so I changed the subscription for a week later.

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If you have a bub I would highly recommend trying Comfy Koalas. If you don’t like their nappies they even refund you but honestly there is absolutely no reason not to love these nappies. Even if you know someone with babies, instead of getting them a blanket or a plastic toy, I would highly recommend getting the parents something like these nappies. It takes the stress off the mum or dad to go to the shop as it’s one less they need to worry about and you know they will use it!

Anyways , I hope you love the pictures of my baby girl as much as I do. Thank you so much for stopping by and reading this. I love sharing these moments with my friends, family and followers. I feel like I have friends all over Australia and the world because of my Instagram and this is just another way for us to connect and share these special moments of our lives.

Love and blessings,
Gabriella

My top 3 favourite children's books

Hello ! Feeling so inspired to write and the post has been on my mind a lot so it’s about time I did it.
This year I am making an effort to action when I have those hunches or urges to do something. So far I am seeing success and personal satisfaction from doing this. Hooray for me :)

Since I was young, I have always been a book worm. I loved getting lost in a novel and I used to spend literally hours reading. So much in fact my eyes would hurt haha. A funny story from when I was young ; I loved the look of glasses so I kept making my mother take me to the optometrist to get glasses for reading but he said my eye sight was perfect and they just needed a ‘rest’ if I had been reading for 2 hours. This happened 2-3 times… lol Looking back on this I find it so funny. FYI- I didn’t ever get glasses haha.

Like most parents, we read to Romeo every night before bed. His book collection consists of a variety of themes like super hero’s and fairytales to learning about his feelings and how to deal with them. A mix of educational and silly fun.

Because my husband and I read a lot, I knew from even before Romeo was out of my belly that I wanted him to have these good habits. I read to him in my belly and I decided to build his library from a young age. I did so by asking for a book instead of a baby shower card when we celebrated his impending arrival. I did this by including a little note on the invites.
It said ‘ A little request, please bring a book, pre-loved or new instead of a card’.
Cards usually get thrown out but a book is forever. People can buy super cheap pre-loved books from Second hand shops or The Salvation Army, etc which usually costs less then what a card would. I think I will do this from now on with all his birthdays. Let me know if you guys have done this or like the idea. I know a few mums appreciated the idea and did it for their little one’s birthdays.

Ok so , in my opinion a book is such a timeless and beautiful present. Perfect for any occasion. Books are forever. They are fun, educational and helps our little ones to expand their imagination. It’s also so beautiful to bond with them while reading a book and you’re all snuggled together. I am a sucker for Romeo’s cuddles.

Now for the books I am excited to share with you. My top three favourite children’s book :

Lets start with

1. The wonderful things you will be

Suitable for : Boys and girl aged 0-10 years

Written by : Emily Winfield Martin. The author is a New York times best selling American lady and she has a few more books that I need to get because if they are anything like this one then Romeo and I are sure to love it.

Overview : Oh my goodness the first time I read this book I cried haha I thought it was so beautiful.My hubby and I went out on a date during the day last year and we bought this for Romeo as a little present so he didn’t feel left out. I must have been extra emotional that day but the words are so sweet and it really struck a cord.
This book has dreamy illustrations that match the words written from the heart. I love the quirky characters and the caring, kind nature it is instilling in both boys and girls.

Why I recommend it : I believe if we provide the correct emotional and physical support, our kids will believe that they are special and they will be confident to follow their dreams and calling in life. This book is a reminder to dream big and set their goals from an early age knowing that mama and papa will support them, regardless of what they decide to be. Unconditional love in every circumstance, whether your child wants to be a doctor or a painter. How much does it matter if they are happy and living their dream?

Perfect to give as a : baby shower present

You can use this link to purchase this incredible book. Let me know what you think in the comments below :)

2. I’m Australian too.

Suitable for : Boys and girl aged 0-12years

Written by : Mem Fox and illustrated by Rojan Gosh. You may know the author of this book from her best seller ‘ Possum magic’. If you grew up in Australia then this book was in every classroom and home in the 80’s.

Overview : Side note, I can recite this book without looking at the pages haha Romeo loves this book as much as me! The illustrations are modern, colourful and bright. Perfect in size to read before bed with about 4 lines of catchy rhymes per page.

Why I recommend it : I love this book because it represents acceptance, understanding and what Australia is; A country made up of many nationalities from all over the world. Racism is still very prevalent in Australia and this way of thinking usually starts at home because let’s be real…no one is born racist. This book helps kids understand we are all equal and we are all Australian if we live and are born here. To me, Australia is a safe haven for those who have had discriminated Everybody is included and everyone is welcome and that is something I want to instil in Romeo and my future babies.

Perfect to give as a : birthday present

Click this link to buy the perfect birthday present for your little one’s cousin or buddy :)

3. The When I’m feeling..Collection

Suitable for : Boys and girl aged 0-12 years

Written by : Tracey Monjay

Overview : The 8 book series has a main character of a cute bunny. The bunny experiences different emotions such as jealousy, sadness, happiness, love etc in day to day life situations. The language is easy to understand as well and the illustrations are really cute.

Why I recommend it : I think it simplifies what our main feelings are : happiness, anger, jealousy etc and helps kids understand that everyone feels these emotions and why they are good or bad etc and what we can do when we feel them. The back page is for the parents/ guardians which outlines from a psychological point of view the benefits of gentle parenting and explaining to children what and why they are feeling. It has helped me personally in many situations with Romeo. To help him explain what he is feeling, for example anger. And what he can do in that situation like breathe and in.

Perfect to give as a : Christmas, Easter or any special occasion.

Click here to buy these gorgeous books.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. I would love some suggestions on what other books to buy Romeo.

Much love, positive vibes and blessings from me to you. x