Millie is communicating with the fairies and every morning is like Christmas when she finds they have left her a message. She is convinced they live in the trees outside her bedroom window and wait until she’s asleep to take delivery of their letter and write one in return.

“They can see in my window, mumma, and that’s how they know to come in. They can see that the little fairy door is open,” she says. Gosh Millie, you are so sweet I could just eat you up.

This idea belongs to two sisters from Elwood in Melbourne – with five children between them –  who launched the play set on the crowd funding platform Kickstarter, enabling them to put Willow’s Fairyland into production. Like many mums, Penne and Lucy’s challenge has been keeping their children off devices and providing outlets for their children to build their imagination.

The beautifully made Willow’s Fairyland Play Set is gift boxed and contains a portable fairy house and decorative stickers, a hard cover storybook and a grass-look play and travel mat to allow children to take it anywhere.

Children can write a note to their fairy and open the door, then during the night the fairy will come and deliver a reply letter and place it in the house and close the door.

We’ve been helping Millie to write mini letters (she’s just turned five, her writing is coming along but it’s still tricky) and guiding her when she says she isn’t sure what she wants to say. At this age, Millie’s biggest problem is keeping her brother away from her toys, but as she gets older we can see the fairy house would be a great little outlet to air her worries and frustrations.

The “fairies” write little messages in return and have scribbled on pink paper, leaves, buttons and ribbon. It’s limited only by the parent’s bright ideas. Funny how a child’s play set has encouraged us to use our imagination, too! Whatever the format, the fairy letters make Millie’s day.

The house sits on Millie’s bedside table and the included grass play mat has helped the teeny house travel to Nanna’s as well.

The Willow’s Fairyland Play Set is available to purchase online and extra pieces can be sold separately.

https://willowsfairyland.com/

The post Willow’S Fairyland Is Everything For Little Kids With Big Imaginations appeared first on millie mummy melbourne.

We’d excitedly scoot down to the neighbourhood toy shop and get lost in a fabulous world of books, dolls, toy trucks and colour.

We only ever had the money to buy small items – most of the time I’d purchase a sheet of stickers and Matt would buy a bouncy rubber ball or a Matchbox car.

It didn’t matter that we walked out of the shop without the big-ticket items, half the excitement was standing in there in awe.

I can picture a mini Nat and Matt in Melbourne’s delightful Big Dreams, eyes widening at the floor-to-ceiling goodies, mentally writing our Christmas wishlists.

LuckyBoySunday doll and Uimi merino blankets Heico fawn lamp

It’s such a lovely store, even as a grown-up I can happily while away my time finding little treasures for my little treasure.

Deers and rabbits in toy or lamp form peer from between the bath toys, knitted dolls and windmills.

Musical fairy jewellery box

Millie’s ‘woodland critters’ nursery is decked out with a mushroom night light and Maileg floppy bunny from Big Dreams. They are items I’ve bought her that she’ll be able to keep forever.

Shoppers are bound to find something here for their littlies that’s original, top quality and just perfect.

Big Dreams, Collingwood. PHOTO: Laura Hannan Photography

Big Dreams, with stores in Collingwood and Northcote, has just released its Winter Magazine. It’s a beautifully presented catalogue of new products, styled and photographed by Big Dreams staff.

It’s too nice to dog-ear the pages, but flicking through the edit of clothes, shoes, toys and gifts it is easy to covet one of everything.

I have just snapped up a Moover wooden doll’s pram, some unbelievably cute Minnetonka moccasin booties and some polka dot merino tights from Lamington. I still have plenty more on my shopping list for Millie (it’s her 1st birthday coming up…ok hubby?).

Goose takes a gander at the Big Dreams goodies

Visit one of the two shops to find Schleich figurines, Heico lamps, Hunter boots, Bajo wooden toys, a huge Bobux baby and children’s shoe range and colourful clothing and sleepwear from Minti, Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini, Petit Bateau, Hatley, Tutu du Monde and Oishi-M adorning the shelves. Most items are available to buy online too.

Aussie brands including Sapling Child, Oishi-M and Melbourne’s Fable Baby are popular

Big Dreams is at 336 Smith St, Collingwood and 269 High St, Nothcote, online and has profiles on Facebook and Instagram.
To download a copy of the new Big Dreams Winter Magazine, click here

Tutu cute

*This is a sponsored post

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