We love a new children’s boutique so we were super excited to discover Bink Kids! We made a beeline for Melbourne mums, Karina and Nadine to find out more about them and their amazing new store.
Tell us a bit about yourselves…
Karina (on the left): I am a mum to little chatterbox Sophia (16 months) who’s favourite words at the moment are ‘shoe’ and ‘hello’. She’s an adventurous and happy little girl, who is being raised bilingual. I was born in Germany and came to Australia when I was 11. My mum kept up the language with me and now I’m glad I can pass it on to Sophia.
I am also co-owner of Bink Kids with Nadine, who had the original idea to start this website. Both our partners play pivotal roles due to their expertise.
My partner Stephen is the technical and graphic expert for Bink Kids. He’s a good rock to have, as he’s methodical and very patient. Nadine’s husband Jerun designed and built the site. He’s an ideas person and an expert in marketing.
My role is shared with Nadine so we do all the day to day business, select clothing ranges and liaise with suppliers. We live in Research in Victoria, not far from Nadine and her family.
Nadine: I am mum to Saskia (4), who is desperately curious about everything, an artist, puzzle/lego fiend, and best friend of Menno (2). This little guy is fearless, cheeky, and has an impressive left kick! I think if you combined the two it would pretty much describe me. A librarian by trade, nosy by nature and keen to learn everything.
What can we expect from Bink Kids this year?
We are proud to announce that we are one of the sponsors of Dutch Orange Day in Melbourne this year. We’re not quite up for clog dancing but we’ll certainly be handing out some little goodies. Later in the year we hope to expand our store by adding more brands, extending the range of the ones we have and also increasing the age bracket.
What product couldn’t you live without?
Karina: I would have to say my iPhone. I don’t know how I survived without it. It’s unbelievable that there is so much at your fingertips; calendar, email, internet banking, weather forecast, baby monitor, Facebook, Skype, eBay, words with friends and not to mention a phone and surfing the web!
Nadine: For pure convenience I would also have to say my iPhone.
What are you listening to in the car at the moment?
Karina: I tend to flip between PBS and ABC radio, depending on the music being played. I like playing a bit of variety for Sophia; some classical music followed by some jazzy tunes or blues with me singing along to make her smile!
Nadine: Always K3. This is a Belgian/Dutch girl band my kids love. It’s a great way for them to learn Dutch, practice some cool moves and sing loudly and enthusiastically.
How do you like to spend your spare time?
Karina: Spare time? I’m still getting used to not having much of that at the moment. On my list is: start yoga again, start singing again, do a few laps, and maybe learn some new recipes.
Nadine: If I could go without sleep then I would have endless projects on the go, books to read, movies to watch, a musical instrument to learn. But in reality I make sure I have time to read, squeeze in the odd crafty project, play with the kids (and encourage them to do the projects I like), and dream.
Where do you see yourselves and your store in 5 years?
We hope that Bink Kids is well enough established that it will allow us to design our own Bink range.
Your perfect day would be…
Karina: A sleep in and breakfast in bed, followed by a nice day at the beach with the family and a picnic lunch. Then returning home to a clean house before spending a sunny afternoon in the backyard lazing on the lush grass with a cup of tea and a delicious piece of cake.
Nadine: I’d love to be flown by Learjet to Paris and then….well. Actually, I’d have to say, a proper sleep in. Breakfast in bed. A trip somewhere with my husband to visit something new such as a gallery or museum, and then a wonderfully long lunch with lots of food I’ve never tried before.
Style My Child Hot Tip! Visit the fabulous Bink Kids website (nice one, fellas! 
). You’ll find a beautiful website filled with bright, funky and best of all different pieces for your little Bink kid! Oh and in case you’re wondering… Bink is a Dutch word which translates to “cool little guy”. A binky is also an expression of absolute delight from a rabbit!
For the lads, Newbies has perspex WW2 inspired warplanes which are sure to please any little wannabe pilot!
