We love birds at Babyology. Our fetish for all things feathered has led us in recent months to present you with every manner of avian delights.

So far we’ve given you adorable bird cushions, the most delicate of bird mobiles, fun bird-shaped lamps and mirrors and the sweetest little birdy pinafores you could ever hope to see. Well, wait for it, because we’ve found another seriously stylish bird treat that is sure to get you all in a flap.

These quirky birdy mobiles and door hangers from Little Luv had our hearts all aflutter the moment we laid eyes on them. Handmade in a mix of vintage and modern fabrics and embellished with the same sort of buttons, they’re just the thing to add the requisite level of fanciful charm to a nursery or child’s bedroom.

Like so many of our favourite pieces here at Babyology, these birdies came about when Mardi Zeunery couldn’t find exactly what she wanted  while decorating her own daughter’s nursery a year ago. She decided to make something herself and – vóila – a new business was born.

Mardi makes each bird by hand from her South Australian pad and is happy to custom-make mobiles or door hangers in special colours, fabrics or patterns to suit your vision or decor.

Triple-decker mobiles cost $40 and single birdies cost $15, plus a little extra for postage. To order, visit Little Luv.

One of the most exciting moments in any pregnancy is hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Of course, for most of us the magic is significantly dulled by having to lie flat on an uncomfortable table in a doctor’s office. Wouldn’t it be nicer to hear your baby’s heartbeat in the comfort of your own home, without the need for any expensive or invasive machinery?

The Midwife’s Wooden Stethoscope from Natursutten is a version of the same bell-shaped stethoscope that midwives have been using the world over for almost 200 years. It allows a friend or family member to listen to the heartbeat of your baby (after about 20 weeks) without having the hassle of batteries, ultrasonic waves or hiring your own fetal doppler. The only downside is that you’ll be hard pressed to actually use it yourself, unless you are capable of the kind of gymastics in later pregnancy that I was never even close to being able to perform!

Here at Babyology we’ve admired the practical and beautiful products of Natursutten before and this stethoscope doesn’t disappoint. It’s made from beautiful Scandinavian beech wood and its smooth finish and lovely lines mean it will remain a keepsake in your home long past the day when you’re finally holding your baby in your arms.

Pick it up from Bebe for only $39.95 plus postage.

My daughter is obsessed with building things right now and can’t get enough of making her own little houses, forts, planes, trees, animals or whatever else her flourishing imagination can come up with. It’s a marvel to witness.

So I think these city and country building sets from Mudd Kids will be right up her alley. And they’re double-sided for twice the fun.  Mudd Kids prides itself on its selection of organic, fair trade, recycled and eco-friendly children’s goods. These building blocks are no exception. They’re built from maple hardwood offcuts salvaged from a flooring company – a brilliant way to save precious trees and reduce wastefulness.

The building sets are available in two themes – country or city. Featuring quirky, modern and fanciful drawings of bustling city landscapes or scenic country farms, they’re bound to be a big hit with the kids. Head to Mudd Kids to grab one or both sets at $35 each plus shipping.

The crib which folds away is now available in a bright new hue!Orange is one of my favourite colours in decor and my favourite pick of the Bloom Alma colours. Those with a taste for the bold can now exercise that flair with the orange option, or go with the earthier green or ethereal white we featured in May 2009.

Bébé currently stock the original colours and no doubt will be getting the orange sometime soon. It’s $799.95 plus shipping.

When my first child was born, I was adamant that my house would not become home to a tribe of generic-looking stuffed animals. It did anyway, of course, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have minded so much if these little guys had been on the market back then.

Anything but generic-looking, this tribe of stuffed ‘aminals’ certainly have the familiar touch. They’ve been inspired by kids’ drawings and if you have a little artist at home, you’ll recognise the exaggerated lines and colours (and interesting spelling!). Each comes with his own story as well. There’s a whole family of them, complete with pets – although perhaps the kind of pets your children want and you don’t: ‘eflant’, ‘dinasor’ and ‘liun’.

Aminals are especially huggable because they’re made from organic cotton and use only natural vegetable dyes. In fact, the company is so environmentally friendly that their website even includes instructions for your kids on how to compost their Aminal once it has been loved to death!

These have just arrived in Australia and can be found at Hunt and Gather for $35.

Who says feeding equipment has to be boring? OrganicKidz funky stainless steel baby bottles have just hit our shores, providing Australian parents with a long-lasting, durable and healthy (for both baby and environment) bottle option.

OrganicKidz are pioneers in the baby bottle department, launching the world’s first stainless steel thermal baby bottle. These bottles are a fantastic hygienic option, they’re BPA, PVC and Phthalate free, scratch and break resistant and you can still sterilise them as you would any other bottle. OrganicKidz make these to be a long term investment as they transform into sippy cups and water bottles, with conversion kits available for purchase separately.

A variety of shapes and sizes are available to best suit your needs, all including a handy lid that doubles as a 60ml measuring cup. The stainless steel body keeps its contents either warm or cold for up to six hours so are excellent when heading out!

To see the full range and find a stockist near you, head to OrganicKidz. Bottles are priced from $23.95 for the 120ml size bottle.

Most celebrations call for a cake, or is it cake that calls for the celebration?  Either way, cake is required. For those of us that usually shake in our aprons at the very thought of making a fancy pants cake to show off to friends, think again as you go preheat that oven.

Ticings have created the very best product for all would-be bakers – printed sheet icing.  It’s perfect for those who can bake but who fall down in the decorating department.  Thin sheets of icing are printed in various designs using spectacular edible dyes and then cut into discs on the sheets (perfect for cupcakes) or left as a flat sheet for a big cake.  They’re as easy to apply as a sticker using butter cream icing to adhere them to your baked delights!

Ticings have a fabulous range to choose from, including special holiday and celebration designs, along with the option to design your own!

So if cake decorating isn’t your thing, then cheating is perfectly acceptable.  A sheet of twelve cupcake discs are priced from US$17.90. Unfortunately direct shipping to Australia is not yet available but a reshipper can probably help.

I’ve loved the Canadian-designed HiLo Highchair ever since first seeing it way back in 2008 so I’m excited to let you know this gorgeous and very functional piece of furniture has finally arrived in Australia.

We last wrote about the HiLo in May 2008 so here’s a reminder of the features.

The highchair comes in an array of appetising colours (strawberry, carrot, asparagus and portobello). My favourite feature is the moulded seat which is very secure looking and eliminates the need for a cushion and extra cleaning. The back legs have sturdy wheels for ease of mobility. They’re also  timber-floor friendly and fully foldable for easy storage but I doubt you’d ever want to hide away such a stylish piece.

The HiLo will keep your little one happily seated from six months of age (in its ‘Hi’ chair function) to six years (in its ‘Lo’ chair function) and modifying the chair to cater for these stages looks very easy.

Nought2five has just begun stocking this beautiful highchair and is taking preorders now. It will set you back $429 but we promise it will be the star attraction of the dining room.  I snapped a photo of one last week when it launched at The Baby Show and isn’t she lovely!

Three of my greatest loves – candy stripes, polka dots and gift wrapping – all come together with these darling and delightful little characters from Pocket Carnival.

Melbourne designer Penny Eager loves to sew and draw and combining her twin talents to create Pocket Carnival. There’s plenty of great products including handmade coin purses, pencil cases, cards and the delightful candy-striped gift tags (pictured above).  Gorgeous sewn goods come with original illustrations printed on organic cotton. The pencil cases and coin purses are irresistibly cute and even perfect for storing a dummy or two in your handbag.

Penny also creates beautiful original artwork with bunny, bear, fox and deer characters which are bound to capture the imaginations of the smallest people in your life!

You can see all the Pocket Carnival goodies at Pocket Carnival or at Etsy.  The coin purses are $16 and the gift tags $5 for a set of eight.  Postage to everywhere is free in most cases!

We have an immense passion for baby and child products here at Babyology and anyone who’s a fan of our great site surely loves buying gorgeous things for babies and children. We also like to keep an eye on the conscientious side of consumerism, with a focus on eco-friendly products and companies who make a difference through ethical practices.

Phil and Teds wins our tick with a program to provide needy families with reconditioned buggies for their babies. Buggies for Good is already up and running in New Zealand and all that’s needed to make it happen here in Australia are the services of a freight forwarding company and people to donate either their Phil and Teds prams or Mountain Buggies. The buggies will be reconditioned to perfection and passed on to people who need them.

If you can help with either the logistics side (freight, reconditioning) or with the donating of a pram or two (ask around your parent community), then you’ll be helping to give families a helping hand upon the arrival of a new baby.

With Phil and Teds also supporting other causes such as the Surgical Research Trust, Ronald McDonald House and the Friends of Cancer Society, this is a business which is really giving back. Email pr@philandteds.com to discuss your contribution.