I have dressed hundreds of newborn babies in these amazing little pants. Literally. You can see from the pictures they look great. But what is really fantastic about them is how simple & easy they make life for Mum & Dad!

iGrow Pants are the ultimate in easy speedy un/dressing! You know how it is changing your squawking, wriggly, hungry (adorable!) newborn in the middle of a cold night in dim light. All-in-ones with rows of fiddly fasteners are just not your friend. iGrow Pants slip easily on & off. They’re even symmetrical front & back. They are…simply less fuss.

I could call these little numbers ‘Peace Pants, Baby’!

Infants make a fuss when they are not comfortable. It’s just their way of saying “Fix it, please!”. What were the most comfortable pants you wore when pregnant? Your soft jersey fold-over waist pants?! On your newborn they are perfect for keeping singlets tucked in while easily accomodating both bean poles & chubby tummies alike. For sleeping, unfold the waist over their tummy & chest for an extra layer of secure warmth &…simply less fuss.

As a breastfeeding Mum I found the first few weeks of feeding really hard going. Getting attachment just right with those ‘helpful’ little hands was a painful & frustrating process. I soon worked out we had far greater success when I unfolded the waistband of their iGrow Pants & tucked that busy top arm away to commence the feed. There was…simply less fuss.

Above all else, the ease of dressing our boys with iGrow Pants gave Dad confidence to help & get involved with the feeding & changing routine. Guys tend to have big hands & greater difficulty with fiddly clasps & fasteners. Their patience with baby fashion is generally just not quite as great as Mum’s. Easy dressing helps Dad help out…with simply less fuss.

Now, whether you’re a regular sewer or just like to ‘give it a go’ now & again, you are going to LOVE this easy printable ePattern. It has been written clearly & concisely with an easy-peasy 6-steps of professionally  illustrated sewing instructions. You will complete your first pair of iGrow Pants in under an hour with…simply less fuss.

I will email your ePattern in PDF format on notification of payment. You may print it as many times as you like. You can print just one page or all. (Please make sure you have ADOBE ACROBAT READER downloaded on your computer to enable you do open this PDF document).

For obvious reasons, I cannot accept exchanges or give refunds on patterns.

Your purchase gives you access to your own copy of this pattern. The design itself remains the property of iGrow Kids. While multiple items can be made for personal use & gift giving it can’t be used for commercial purposes. iGrow Kids patterns may not be distrtibuted in any form.

Please contact me if you have any questions at all. I am more than happy to provide additional email assistance both before & after purchase…with simply less fuss!

Ready to sew? Buy your iGrow Pants Easy Sewing ePattern from the iGrow Kids Etsy shop & get to it!

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PDF A4 Printable Sewing Pattern
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FEATURES
> A4 printable sewing ePattern
> Full-size pattern pieces (print & cut, no scaling)
> Professionally illustrated 6-step sewing instructions
> Clear, concise & non-colour (black & white) to save your paper & printer ink!

SIZE
One size – suitable for a newborn through to about 6 months!

SKILL
Beginner – this pattern assumes you have minimal sewing experience

EQUIPMENT
A serger/overlocker is preferable although a sewing machine with suitable stretch stitch can be used.

MATERIALS
Two-way stretch fabric & co-ordinating thread.

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THIS IS AN EPATTERN AND NOT THE FINISHED GARMENT.

Click HERE if you would rather I do the sewing and send you a finished pair of iGrow Pants!
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iGrow Kids…simply less fuss.

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The beautiful thing about building your own website is that you can change any of it whenever you feel the need.

So I did.

I have been pondering a new iGrow Kids tagline for a while now. I want a phrase to communicate exactly how effective  iGrow Kids designs are in reducing the ‘angst’ of dressing kids in the first few years of life – wriggly limbs, fiddly clasps, unworn favourites, bulging wardrobes, fussy dressers, sweaty sleepers, self-dressing fashionistas, etc.

Tonight I have decided on ‘Simply Less Fuss.’

I think.

The difficult thing about being a DIY freak is that you don’t have a team of professionals around you with which to consult when you make a significant marketing and branding change.

But I do have a few clever friends I can put this by later. And I have you.

Would you have a think and leave a comment below telling me what this statement means to you with reference to dressing your kids? Then I will be able to see whether I have captured the uniqueness of the iGrow Kids range in this simple statement.

Maybe you have a better alternative? Let’s hear it!  If you come up with something better I choose to use along side the logo I will send your choice of outfit from the range!

Karen

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I was addicted to TV. Big Brother, Idol, Desperate Housewives, Sunrise in the morning with Kochie, the News, Friday night football. You name it I watched it. And loved it. Pregnant with our first child I couldn’t be more content than enjoying a cosy Saturday night on the couch sharing a bowl of ice-cream with my husband while watching The Bill and Doc Martin.

During the day the television was always on. Sewing, cooking, cleaning, eating, reading and playing with our newborn baby boy were all accompanied by the hum of TV.  We didn’t mind. We didn’t notice. It was normal.

The day our TV set blew up I wasn’t devastated, I was relieved.

“Oh” we said and looked questioningly at each other. At that moment we didn’t decide to never have TV again.  We were just going to wait a month until we could afford a decent replacement. In the meantime we joined our local library and upgraded our internet connection.

3.5 years later and we have never tuned in to TV again. The only people who aren’t surprised by this are people who also live without TV.

“What do you DO with no TV?!?” is the most common question people ask. Well, we do . . .  stuff! We do more of the things that interest us than we did with TV here.

We aren’t academics or religious or members of clubs. We don’t participate in organised sports or have umpteen social engagements throughout the week. We aren’t busy outside home and we don’t entertain alot at home. We live pretty simply. And we still don’t need TV.

We read. Loads. Fiction mostly. Our two boys mimic our book habits and have various sized piles scattered throughout the house. We don’t have lots of shelves of books, just a well-travelled library bag.

Me particularly? I like business and I like to make things. The iGrow Kids range has been the focus of these interests and would not exist today but for that puff of electical smoke from the back of The Box.

Connecting via Facebook and Twitter, learning the coding languages and tools with which to build my website, researching marketing strategies, designing graphics and reading design blogs are some of the things that fill my previously unaccounted for screen time.

On the occassions we have been on holiday or staying with family and had full-service TV available we have indulged. But less and less each time. The longer we live without TV the less we want it around again. Nothing holds our interest. Advertising grates on the senses. And the kids can’t cope with it at all.

To be clear, when Max was about 16 months old and showing a great love of everything musical we conceded to buying ‘a box’ by way of introducing him to The Wiggles. Today we have a well loved collection of children’s media that we watch and participate in as a family. But nothing could tempt us to press the auto-tune button that would take minutes to bring TV back into our home.

After ourselves, I believe that box  is today the single most educational tool our kids have – but that is the subject of my next post!

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I cannot explain the immense joy I have had recently watching my 3.5 year old  son Max write his first words.

The first word he spoke was bird (so cute!). His first step at 13 months was delightful. His first solo swim across the pool made me teary with happiness (and great relief!). Yet these milestones are pretty little pebbles in comparison to the line Max is crossing right now.

HE CAN WRITE ‘BOY’!!!!!!!!!!!

The surge of physical warmth and pure glee that radiated out from my heart when I saw Max write his first word from memory on his MegaSketcher about 10 days ago lingers still. I smile randomly throughout the day as I ponder this and his subsequent word-a-day learning curve.

Reflecting on the building blocks to these blossoming reading and writing skills I particularly note the funny ‘ABC’ we have developed as part of our regular reading and letter recognition conversations. It’s a bit silly. It’s a bit fun. It has really only taught capital letters. And its not yet complete.  But it has made these first learning steps for us very easy and natural.

These are the little statements and funny references we give to each letter when we walk, talk, play, drive etc…

The ABC by Max & Mum.

A like a mountain

Buzzy B

C like a moon

Big tummy D

Easy E

F

G-G Giddy-up

H

I is a line

J

Kicker K

Leggy L

M…for Max (of course)

N

Oh No! O

Party P

*whispered* Quiet Q

Running legs R

Snakey S

T like a table

Ummmmm U!

V *Victory sign with our two fingers*

W…for Wiggles (of course)

X marks the spot

Yeah for Y

Zzzzzzz *pretend to be asleep*

As you can see we need a little help with  F H J and N. Any suggestions? Have you got an ABC of your own to share? What other tips can you give us?

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JUST 4 U TWEET PEEPS!

Every order I receive between now and  Sunday November 8th will get a 30% cash refund (via PayPal) when you Twitter a picture of your little one wearing their new  iGrow Kids gear.  That’s it. Easy.

So get your order in this week and tweet your pic before the end of the month!

Any questions or comments? Tweet me @igrowkids

Here’s the link to  Twitter the Picture of your iGrow Kids model   www.twitpic.com

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Tweet-Tweet-Tweet. Tweet-Tweet-Tweet. It’s got me. The Twitter Bug. You too? The Twitter-verse is a strange place indeed when you first dare to enter.  As it slowly reveals itself tweet by tweet  I have found it to be kinda, well, cool!

I tried explaining Twitter to my ‘offline, internet-wary’ husband recently (although he does have a busy Facebook account thanks to his chronically  social wife) and I got a bit stumped. It’s social, its self-promotional, it’s definitely a time sapper and yet a seemingly limitless resource for connecting with people, things, ideas, discounts, events, celebrities and well, just about anything! “But what does it DO for you?” he asked.

As a SAHM/WAHM I am already on overload raising Max (3yrs) and Khan (1yr), designing the iGrow Kids range,  co-ordinating manufacture, building and developing the website, managing my customers and creating a cohesive brand. Oh, and remaining a supportive wife and friend to my pals!  So  I really need to take a look at this daily social media habit and see  just what role Twitter will take in my already crowded life. Does Tweeting  support my daily objectives and priorities in a meaningful way or should it be relegated to the Entertainment Department for indulgent Mum time like a favourite mag?

So I am going to have a little experiment this week and see how effective Twitter is right now in building my business. Will Twitter really help promote iGrow Kids, introducing new Mums and kids to the range? Here’s what we’ll try:

TWITTER A PICTURE & GET 30% CASH BACK!

Every order I receive between now and  Sunday November 8th will get a 30% cash refund (via PayPal) when they Twitter a picture of their little one wearing the iGrow Kids gear.  That’s it. Easy.

30% is a big chunk out of my profit margin but I think it is worth it to connect with new customers who can spread the word with their own pictures (worth a thousand words, they say!) of iGrow Pants, T-shirts and Skirts. And help me see just how productive my Twitter Time is for my business (and thus my family).

I will report back the results of my Twitter  experiment in the first week of December…so get your order in this week and post your picture before the end of the month!

Any questions? Tweet me @igrowkids

Here’s the link to  Twitter the Picture of your iGrow Kids model   www.twitpic.com

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Ingenious storage solutions excite me. Its a fact. Finding the perfect container, box, bag or hangy-thing to do the job is like making a heavenly, soul-satisfying match.

Recently I found THIS….

…and it has to be just the best little time, money, space and health saver I have invested in to date! It’s a snack tube. Now in my world of park outings, family day care, local play dates, mum’s group, ballet class, swimming lessons, library visits, coffee shop catch-ups and beach trips, snacks rule, OK? Packing healthy, economical snacks is a big part of providing a nutritious diet for my boys (ages 1 and 3). When I spotted this little  screw-together cylinder on the shelves of my local Woolworths (near the school lunch boxes, not the plasticwear) I suspected it had some potential. I have since purchased 5 more sets, so yes, it’s potential was indeed realised.

Here’s what the snack tube does at our house:

1. Mix’n match snacks whether cold (cheese,  yoghurt, avocado, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, little apples) or pantry snacks (rice biscuits, nuts, raisins, veggie crisps, crackers). I have a set of snacks decanted into a long snack tube on the shelf and just select and screw together as appropriate for the outing.

2. Storing and serving baby meal portions. Quick freezing and reheating.

3. BYO condiments for our weekly fish & chip takeout at the local marina

4. Easy refridgeration of  small, cut portions of  (eg) parmesan, lemon slices and onion in the one tube – no smell, easy to store and find behind larger bottles and packets or on door shelves. Saves so much waste and digging around the cupboard for little lids!!!

5. Safe and easy (no glass, no rubbish)  camping packs – tea/coffee/sugar tube, cous cous/rice/spices tube, butter/vegiemite/jam tube … etc.

I’m not going to name the brand or provide a link. I can only tell you where I found it…and that I think they have sold out this week in my local store as my friends have been in on my snack pack secret for a couple of weeks!

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Yep, I have been busting to do a giveaway to help get the word out there about my super-duper funky-fabulous kids gear!

So this weekend I am giving away a pair of iGrow Kids Yoga Pants and a Ballet Skirt just for the fun of it!

So how do I choose a deserving winner? Just tell me about how you would dress your little one with iGrow Kids style!

Would they wear the skirt or the pants?

What colour & size? There are 8 gorgeous colours in sizes 0 to 5 years to choose from!

Now leave a comment bellow describing what they will wear their new gear with!

I will pick the winners Monday morning 10am-ish  (Noosa-time)!

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THIS year I am going out and out to let my family know I want time-creation gifts for Christmas – practical, functional, durable and smart stuff that makes each choka-block, “oh boy, how am I going to get it all done” day run just a little more to schedule….and this little beauty definitely makes the list:

The DYO Magnetic Meal Planner

Mum e Assistant’s ingenious magnetic ‘mum-tool’ helps to quickly and easily design the family’s weekly eating around 70+ nutritious meal ideas.  From here it is just too easy to shop-to-purpose saving time, money and trolley tantrums.  Fewer supermarket trips, less food wasted,  greater variety in our diet and family input to meal planning and preparation  are just the start of how the DYO meal planner can create a few more calm, productive moments in my day….and they will love me for it!

….now to spam my family with this blog post….

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Wow. Love the name. Love the range. Take a look at  Finger in the Nose, Parisian baby’s and kids clothing label with attitude.

I would almost fly to Paris just for this gorgeous swimsuit if I had a girl to dress at home!

These fabulous yoke pants rival my own iGrow Kids Yoga Pants in comfort.

The motor bike motif is a popular one for boys…

and this FITN design would have to be one of the best!

Any kid wearing this has got to have a Rock Star future.

….and a matching pair for Mum, please!

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