There was a stage of Sandy's high-risk third pregnancy when doctors feared for the life of her unborn baby girl.
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The Kembla Grange mum only managed to keep her anxiety in check by visualising the birth of her daughter and planning an "extra boujee" first birthday celebration.
But - trying to search for the luxury soft-play party equipment she wanted to hire - she discovered a hole in the Illawarra market, with Sydney-based businesses charging up to $250 for delivery.
So Sandy did a deep dive into overseas manufacturers of foam play sets, pitched the idea of a party hire business to her husband - and Bambolini's was born.
The enterprise has now turned a profit within its first six months of operation and employs four casuals.
"It was a very expensive start-up - and I said to my husband, 'we are taking a very big risk doing this'," Sandy said.
She ploughed ahead, liaising with agents from other countries to source a beige soft-play carousel and ballpit - a big contrast to the primary-coloured sets she'd seen on the South Coast.
After waiting three months for the shipping container to arrive and clear customs, Bambolini's started operating in February and received a glowing review from a happy first customer.
"It took off a lot faster than I anticipated, so we had to get more equipment because we were starting to turn people away," Sandy said.
They've since added grey, soft pink, baby blue and black and white play sets to the mix, appealing to clients who prefer "aesthetically appealing" parties.
They also cater to Sandy's own sensory needs.
"My children and I get overstimulated by too much colour and noise," she said.
"When I look at bright colours for too long I feel like I'm staring at a strobe light and always need one-and-a-half hours to decompress after a trip to the mall or a playcentre.
"This is why I decided to create something that was very neutral, it keeps me calm."
In June, Sandy threw the first birthday celebration she'd been dreaming about for her healthy baby girl, Sofia, with a white Bambolini's play set taking centre stage at the meticulously styled event.
"It's her that inspired me to do this and she had the most amazing birthday and it was the best experience," she said.
Sandy said she's thrilled to be able to offer other parents the same stylish play pieces for their own parties.
"I think it's honestly the best decision of my life next to marrying my husband," she said of starting Bambolini's.
"I've got multiple health issues and the joy I bring to others makes me forget about everything that I'm physically going through right now.
"It's the nicest feeling when I get parents send me photo updates from the event and they say 'you made my child have the best day in the world, you made everything perfect. I didn't have to set it up, we just turned up."
A look behind the scenes
"It's physically hard work," Sandy said.
"One job is equivalent to six hours' work, from set-up, pack-up and cleaning all the equipment - we clean and sanitise every piece of equipment that gets hired out.
"Yes, even each individual ball in the ballpit."
Packages start from $550, are available for a minimum of four hours and cater for children up to eight years old - although adults can't seem to resist.
"We have a four-metre ballpit that holds 6000 balls, so we get the adults climbing onto the slide and getting involved," Sandy said.
"It's a definite hit and makes everybody feel included."
So far, she's only had one piece of equipment come back damaged.
"These things happen, and we do charge a security bond for that," Sandy said.
"I would say most families are really lovely and they listen to the rules.
"We are quite strict on it - if someone books us, they can't have a face painter because it stains the material and we can't get it out.
"But the people hiring us don't really have that anyway because they are going for that more aesthetically pleasing parties for their kids."
Visit the Bambolini's Soft Play website here.
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