Bondville Christmas Gift Guide 2015: For Beach Bums

This Bondville Christmas Gift Guide 2015 is dedicated to little beach bums. Summer and Christmas in Australia are made for each other - school holidays, festive food and drinks, lazing around with full tummies and spending all day at the beach. Pop a couple of these Australian-designed beach items for kids under the Christmas tree to celebrate long days in the sun.

Bondville Christmas Gift Guide 2014: Fun in the sun

We are so lucky to have beautiful, warm weather over the holiday season, and beach and pool-related gift ideas are a natural for under the Christmas tree. If you are visiting family for Christmas, most of these items pack well too. What's better than jumping into the pool/sea on Christmas Day in brand new togs!? Presenting the second Bondville Christmas 2014 gift guide - Fun In The Sun!

Sun Smart beach getaway + WIN Australian beach shade and bags!

In my third Paint The Town Ford challenge as part of the Kidspot Voice Of 2014 program, our family of four drove up to Avoca Beach for a weekend getaway in my borrowed Ford EcoSport Titanium. We had glorious weather and spent lots of time on the beach with a cast of thousands.

We're always conscious of being Sun Smart, and covered up in style with great Australian products. Read more for details on our weekend, my favourite Australian-designed kids' swimwear, and how you could win the amazing Hollie & Harrie Sombrilla beach tent and stylish-and-practical waterproof beach bags from Project Ten.

SunSmart rashies for the whole family

I've got to stop wearing my husband's rashie. It's not a cute look. And there's no excuse for us all not to have our own rashies (aka lycra swim shirts) with these Australian brands designing great options for Mums, Dads and kids:

Images: Mini Sandcrabs

Brisbane-based Mini Sandcrabs have a range of cute, bright UV sunsuits, rashies and swim shorts for kids. So preppy cute! You can find Mini Sandcrabs in the online store.

Images: Summer and Salt

Summer and Salt is a Sunshine Coast swimwear label that caught my eye at Peregian Beach with a range of stylish swimwear tops for the whole family. You can find Summer and Salt in the online store and at the Peregian Beach boutique.

Images: Babes In The Shade

Babes In The Shade is based in Brisbane and designs a range of rash vests, all-in-one UV suits, matching one-piece bathers and hats. I love the spotty, ruffled numbers. The boys rugby-style shirts are also fantastic (and on sale too). Lots of great options for Mums and kids. You can find Babes In The Shade in the online store.

Images: Salt Sea Teas

Brisbane-based Salt Sea Tees feature cute designs on great-quality fabric, made in Australia. We have the sweet matryoshka doll design and it has lasted for years. Find Salt Sea Teas in the online store. They are clearing all stock, so grab yourself a bargain.

Images: White Soda

These gorgeous lolly-coloured rashies and bathers for kids by Melbourne-based White Soda are super-fashionable. You can find White Soda in the online shop and at stockists around Australia, NZ and online.

Images: Bobbi Sunshine

There are few sun-smart swimmers sweeter than Bondi-based and Bali-made Bobbi Sunshine for girls. You can find Bobbi Sunshine in the online store. 

So there you go friends, some great brands giving us even greater reasons to cover up and look cute in the sun, not just in summer, but all year around. For more information on being safe in the sun, head over to the SunSmart Victoria website which has wealth of information that we all need to brush up on.