Product Reviews

TagNCuddle: Reviewed at Beautyandlace.com.au:

These handmade Tag N Cuddles are perfect for babies around 3 months plus because there are different textures and ribbons for them to grab onto and explore. Sweet and simple, this will keep your little one entertained as they learn how to coordinate and use their hands.

The blanket is soft, made from flannelette with tie dyed fabric on top making them especially good for cuddling and they are loved by babies!

It’s a nice feeling knowing that your bubs new toy was made with love by another mum!
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Recycled Jeans Fabric Tote Bags: Reviewed at Connect2mums.com.au:

When I first saw the ‘denim totes’ available for women at ‘Your Cheeky Monkey,’ I instantly wanted one! Being the ‘Imelda Marcos of bags’, I knew straight away that that these were unique, chic and very LA cool. Monique Nickalls, designer of kids clothing & toys, mumpreneur & ‘YCM’ owner, immediately suggested that I wait as she was constructing four unique totes made from genuine MOSCHINO recycled cotton jeans. Oh, I was like a kid waiting or Christmas! As you can see from the pic, the Moschino makes up the quirky front panel and the sides, bottom and back of the tote are from animal print upholstery off-cuts, giving my tote a luxurious, velvety, winter feel. The bag lining is 100% cotton quilting Cheetah Swirl fabric, in a gorgeous silver/grey/taupe colour. The only ode to this being from a ‘kids label’ is the cute ‘doggy button toggle’ between the handles, which works with the quirkiness of this piece! Handmade by Monique, the craftsmanship is superb and has banished any thoughts of 'handmade equals second best' from my mind once and for all! The ‘Your Cheeky Monkey’ label inside the tote gives the bag a professional finish, as do the ‘Your Cheeky Monkey’ care instructions. My tote is roomy without being obscenely large, dimensions being approx. 32cm W x 29cm H x 9cm D. If you are a woman who loves the ease of entry and exit of items into a bag, you will love this one. I took it as my ‘afternoon bag’ on a recent hospital stay and 12 handy items, including a book and small items of clothing were easily accommodated...mind you I nearly lost it five times to Nurses! It could easily double as a ‘tres cool nappy bag’; it’s comfortable to wear and in my book, ticks all of the boxes. A steal at $39.95 for a unique, handcrafted tote, be quick as there are only 3 more available with the MOSCHINO panel, at www.yourcheekymonkey.com.au
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My Little Monster Soft Toy: Reviewed at Kookie Kids:

Monsters: they are made out to be scary, horrible and mean creatures that you don`t want to know about and especially wouldn`t want one in your home..... Well, let me tell you that is wrong for this Little Monster.... he is just so gorgeous!

This little monster arrived on my doorstep a little while ago and has been `put through the ringers` as they say by my kids. Between my 19 month old an my 4 month old there has been pulling, squeezing, drooling, chewing, poking.... who knows what else and yet this great softie has bounced back every time!
My Little Monster stands about 24 cm high (from toes to top of ribbon horn), and is constructed from pure wool felt backing and eyes, 100% cotton quilting fabric front panel (this print in orange with cute bugs and butterflies in green and blue), ribbon hands and horns, buttons for eyes and as always with all Monique`s soft toys stuffed with pure wool stuffing, gentle and natural for your little one.
You can tell he has been made by a mum who know what kids like as he is made from beautiful and unisex fabrics that not only feel lovely and soft to touch but are also printed with fun and bright creepy crawly bugs that catch little one`s visual attention. You can`t mistake the sewing that keeps this guy firmly together and holds the fun ribbon arms and horns and button eyes in place with an old trick - sewn on using dental floss!! Monique tell us "floss never breaks". I just love the ribbon loops on this little monster with the quick addition of a plastic clip ring I had him hanging from our family stroller for my little guy to play with while out and about - Perfect!
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Babyology Review on our NEW MUM & BABY BAG ~

When my third child arrived only a few months ago, I was terribly excited to receive a new mum gift bag in hospital. Until I opened it and saw it was mostly stuffed with useless brochures for all sorts of bizarre baby products that I didn’t want or need (bronzed wall hanging of baby feet, anyone?) Not so this new mum and baby bag from Your Cheeky Monkey.

Quite frankly, it’s everything a baby gift bag should be. So expect to find nothing inside except lots of very useful bits and pieces for newborns and their mamas. Among the offerings contained in the hand-sewn reuseable tote bag are a set of non-leak cloth breastpads, a burp cloth, a newborn appliquéd singlet or beanie (depending on the season), a wrap to keep baby snug, a face washer with hand-crocheted edging, a BubbaLog baby journal for keeping track of feeds, sleep times and nappy changes as well as handmade goat’s milk soap that’s gentle as can be on delicate skin for bathing your little one.

With all that usefulness, we weren’t surprised to learn that a real-life mum is behind the idea. Mother-of-two Monique Nickalls makes each bag – and most of the delightful contents – to order herself using shades of pink for girls, blue for boys or neutral tones for surprise arrivals.

Bags cost $95 each plus $7.95 delivery. To bag one for your pregnant self or as a gift for someone else, go straight to Your Cheeky Monkey.
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{KID} Independent Interview and Review on our TagNCuddle Tag Comforters ~

What is it? The TagNCuddle is a gorgeous handcrafted comforter made from 100% cotton with super soft flannel lining. Around the edge you’ll find a funky assortment of tags, ric-rac and ribbons for curious fingers {and mouths} to explore. The fabric print on our TagNCuddle contained an array of grubs, grasshoppers, bees and butterflies. It was super colourful and resulted in our test subject taking a dive off Mum’s knee in hot pursuit when it was waved in his direction… in short… we dig it!

Five reasons why we dig it! 1. It was loved by the little guy {the toughest critic} 2. It’s super tough and can survive grabby {and grubby} hands, teeth, slobber + stains. 3. It washes well and comes up looking as good as new {well, it would if we ironed it… which we didn’t, cos that would be like ironing undies or tea towels… pointless!} 4. It’s handmade with love by a Mum with a passion for little folk crafts. 5. It’s affordable, at $16.
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Applique Singlets: Reviewed at Mummifiedtimesfive.net:

Annabelle is very impressed with her new appliqued singlet, especially because it has an A on it ;) I was really impressed with the tidy machine applique. No need to worry about any fraying.
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TagNCuddle Tag Comforter: Reviewed at the Tiny & Little Blog ~

My littlest man reached six months old last week and, like other bubs of this age, he has a passionate interest in taste and texture. It's fascinating watching a baby at this age, where taste is such a strong sense that they constantly explore with it. There's nothing my baby won't try to eat if it doesn't move fast enough, from toys to his brothers to the furniture. It's the perfect age for a touch and texture toy that's safe for baby to chew on.

I recently offered to review a Tag N Cuddle Comforter for My Cheeky Monkey and was thrilled when Teeny N and I were chosen. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Thank you, Monique!

Teeny N was fascinated with the comforter from first sight and initially was so taken in with the colours in the fabric and the ribbons that he spent some time just stared at it turning around in his hands. Of course it wasn't long before it made its way into his mouth and he quickly found his way to the ribbons around the edge. At first he was surprised with the feeling of them in his mouth (more on that later) and he quickly settled on chewing the main part of the comforter.

Teeny N then moved on to touch exploration and loves to have the comforter on the floor in front of him, where he can spend time exploring it ribbon by ribbon. The comforter comes with a range of coloured and textured ribbons that keep him interested. Teeny N spends time discovering each ribbon, running his fingertips over it then pushing them through the loop to feel how the ribbon moves over his fingers.

The Wash Test - It didn't take Teeny N long to suck on the comforter enough for me to want to wash it. I threw it in a warm wash cycle and on to the clothes line, before putting it in the dryer for a final dry-off. It held its shape beautifully, particularly the ribbons which kept their loop shape very well so that I was able to hand it straight back to him to play with again once it was dry.

The Tough Test - My eldest helper, 4yo Little S, was very keen to help with the review so I asked him to help me with testing if the comforter could stand up to tough love. One of my concerns which had stopped me from buying a comforter like this in the past was the ribbons being able to be torn from the stitching. Particularly with extended use and washing working against the thread. Little S with his big muscles came to my aid and he spent considerable time seeing if he could tear any of the ribbons or break any of the stitches. He tried and he tried, but he couldn't budge a single thread.

If I had to say one thing...... that Teeny N didn't love about this comforter, it would be to do with ribbon size and the tag. Two of the ribbons and the tag were quite a bit wider than the other ribbons and he was uncomfortable with the larger size. Every time he put those in his mouth he gagged before tossing the comforter away for a minute. It didn't take him too long, though, to realise he could just skip sucking on those ribbons.

Long story short - The colours of the ribbons are great for keeping a baby interested, as well as the different patterns and texture. The patterned cotton on the front and flannel on the back are soft and interesting for baby, while being quick-drying for parents when it needs to be washed.

Teeny N really enjoys playing with this comforter, particularly when it's quiet wind-down playtime as he gets close to going to bed. The overall size of it is great - it's large enough for him to be able to stretch it out with both hands and have a good look or scrunch it up for exploring; while being small enough for me to not be concerned about him pulling it over his face. It also folds up small enough to easily take it out, fitting into the pocket of my nappy bag, sling and even my jeans or a jacket. It's a great portable toy to entertain baby when you're out and about.

A comforter that my teeny man can easily and happily enjoy both at home and away, terrific!
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Review from 'Aussie Product Review' on our Burp Cloths & TagNCuddle Tag Comforters ~

We loved the TagNCuddle Tag Comforter by Your Cheeky Monkey. This is such a fun item for any baby or toddler. Each little tag is different, creating such interest for the little one to hold, grab and rub. Babies can twist and fiddle with the tags which will help build up their dexterity. All the TagNCuddle Tag Comforters have been beautifully handmade making them all individually special.

The design of this burp cloth is so practical; it is a definite must-have for any mum with a newborn. Perfectly contoured for the shoulder, throw it over and be sure you are covered both front and back from any spit-up! One side is designed with soft flannelette fabric and the other side a towelling fabric, which is very absorbent. Again, this item is uniquely handmade and can come gender specific too.

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