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SING Movie A Perfect Night In

Having movie night with my girls. We are so happy and excited to be watching SING on DVD.
Having movie night with my girls. We are so happy and excited to be watching SING on DVD.

This post is in partnership with
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Movie nights with family are so much fun. It is so nice to spend some quality time with my girls.

SING DVD that we are so excited to watch and our Rosita (Pig) cupcakes and Buster Moon (Koala) cupcakes. Learn about how we made them.
SING DVD that we are so excited to watch and our Rosita (Pig) cupcakes and Buster Moon (Koala) cupcakes. Learn about how we made them.



Movie nights are even better when the weather is getting cold, and you can snuggle up, and watch a fabulous and much awaited film.

We were all super excited to watch SING on DVD.

 

 

From the creators of Despicable Me, Illumination presents SING, a musical comedy about finding the shining star that lives inside all of us. Sing your way into stores today to pick up a copy of SING Special Edition on Blu-ray and DVD featuring 3 mini movies and more music!

We saw SING at the movies, however since then the kids have been asking to see it again.

The twins were so excited and happy to finally have their own copy of SING. Now they can watch it whenever they wish and can entertain friends during the school holidays.

SING is a heart warming film that kids and parents will all love. The music is fabulous and you will catch yourself tapping your feet and singing along. While others might want to get up and have a dance while the characters in the movie strut their stuff.

My happy girls loved sharing the SING film on DVD with their Meena the Elephant plushies.
My happy girls loved sharing the SING film on DVD with their Meena the Elephant plushies.

Snacks and Treats for SING Family Night

To make the whole movie night more fun the twins and I made cupcakes.

Now these weren’t ordinary cupcakes. We decorated some as pigs for Rosita and koalas for Buster Moon.

Buster Moon (Koala) and Rosita (Pig) Cupcakes inspired by the movie SING.
Buster Moon (Koala) and Rosita (Pig) Cupcakes inspired by the movie SING.

If you wish to recreate my pig and koala SING inspired cupcakes here is what you need to do.

1. Make 12 cupcakes. I chose to have vanilla cake mix to make it easy. You can either have chocolate or make the mixture by scratch.

2. I added dark chocolate bits to the mixture. It is up to you, you might prefer to add something else like say banana instead. Be inventive and have fun!

3. Once the cupcakes cooled down I decorated them.

Koala icing: To get the grey icing colour I added some black icing pen to just icing sugar and water. You can add as much black as you wish to get the desired colour. I did read somewhere that you can get black food colouring but I have never seen or heard of this, so I did the next best thing. I think it worked out well.

Pig icing: I mixed icing sugar, water, and some red food colouring to get the pink colour for the pig cupcake. Mix until the desired colour of pink is achieved.

5. I created 6 koala cupcakes for Buster Moon and 6 pig cupcakes for Rosita.

6. Decorations for Buster Moon: Marshmallows for the ears, dark chocolate bits for the eyes and a chocolate coated almond for the nose.

7. Decorations for Rosita: Marshmallows for the ears (Pink), dark chocolate bits for the eyes, a marshmallow stuck horizontally with 2 dots of black icing for the nose.

8. Now all the SING cupcakes are done, the only thing left to do is to eat them!

All the SING cupcakes ready for our movie night. Rosita (PIG) cupcakes and Buster Moon (Koala) cupcakes.
All the SING cupcakes ready for our movie night. Rosita (PIG) cupcakes and Buster Moon (Koala) cupcakes.

You must have popcorn for movie night and that is why everyone had their own box of special homemade popcorn.

The girls loved watching the popcorn pop in the microwave and were amazed at how much each bag made.

To make it more of an event I got little popcorn boxes. This made sure that each person had their own popcorn while watching the film.

Having movie night with my girls. We are so happy and excited to be watching SING on DVD.
Having movie night with my girls. We are so happy and excited to be watching SING on DVD.

The SING DVD has great extras

They are:

• Gunter Babysits
• Love At First Sight
• Eddie’s Life Coach
• The Making of the Mini-Movies

Love at First Sight Mini Movie Sneak Peak

Movie Night is Great Family Time

Sharing a film with your kids is so nice. Laughing at the same things is also an enjoyable moment.

Do you love having family movie nights?  For your family movie nights do you ensure that you have ample treats on hand to enjoy your film?

My kids love to have movie days also and more so in holidays.

The living room becomes one big bed. Pillows, blankets and more are added to the floor and then we all get very comfortable to watch some favourite films.

Soon it will be holidays and I’m sure your little ones will be wanting to relax and have fun watching SING. Have fun dancing, singing and more!

Movie nights are so much fun, especially with a fun film like SING.
Movie nights are so much fun, especially with a fun film like SING.

 

Enjoy your home movie night. I hope that you all have a fun time.

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Family

My Little Explorer

My danger child, the future rock climber and explorer.
My danger child, the future rock climber and explorer.

Alexander is an adventurous and energetic little boy. He loves to explore new places, play with new toys, climb and just get into mischief. A normal child really.

He is very taken with stairs and any stairs he has to climb. It is a struggle to keep him away and sometimes it is just easier to leave,  it is safer to take him to an area that is safer and I don’t need to be on constant alert.

Last Wednesday I tried to take Alexander to baby time at the local library. It did not go well. I was very early and I tried to play with him and to read books while we waited. This did not work out well. I was going to go somewhere else but baby time was not going to be long so decided to wait.

On one of the trolleys that they have the books on the library had the stereo system for the baby time. Alexander decided to push this like a walker and nearly bumped into people and the wall. Not good.

My danger child, the future rock climber and explorer.
My danger child, the future rock climber and explorer.

I then distracted him and he got busy crawling in and out of the bottom of a book trolley and then sliding on a book. He thought this was a lot of fun. I spoilt the fun and took the book off him. He then decided that he wanted to remove books from the shelves and just put them on the floor. Oh gosh!

Many other mums and dads had arrived now and I got chatting with one other mum. I was one talking to her for a few seconds and Alexander had climbed the stairs all by himself while I chatted with this mum. Geeez!!!!

I saved him from coming down and then baby time started. I thought that the music, songs and other kids would make him stay with the group and not want to explore the stairs again and everything else in the library.

He did not want to stay with the baby time group and this meant I was up and down due to his obsession with the stairs. Alexander even visited the quiet reading area and nearly put his hand on a mans leg while he was engrossed in his book. Oh my gosh!

My baby will not sit still.

He was climbing and doing all sorts of things that were not appropriate in a library. I know they expect babies to be a little noisy when they are there but the library is not an obstacle course or baby gym.

After all this back and forth I left to Alexander’s annoyance. I was exhausted racing after him every two seconds.

I did look around and no other baby was exploring or doing what Alexander was doing. The other babies were in the group, sitting nicely or staying with their parents. Not my little boy, he was off and interested in everything but the baby time we came to see and experience.

Today Alexander is fourteen months old. Yes only two months after turning one and he now seems so much more grown up. He has been doing the following things:

  • Walking
  • Trying to run
  • When walking trying to step down if there is a step. He has done it a few times if the step is not high, if it is a higher step he turns around and does the crawl as if he is getting down from a big step.
  • Laughing
  • Playing with his sisters
  • Putting his toys in all draws and in all areas of the house. You know where he has been due to the toys scattered throughout the house.
  • Blowing raspberries
  • Making music with his hand on his mouth to make different sounds.
  • Having fun at playgroup. He takes a while to warm up to the place and when we first went he was a mess (he had crying fits and was shaking, just not happy and therefore I took him home). He has settled in well and yesterday he played well and explored all the toys and the whole hall that playgroup uses at the school.
  • While at playgroup he saw that other kids liked one of his favourite toys. He decided to pick up the toy and move it to the other side of the room and then walked away. He did not want any other kids to play with it so he made it difficult. Talk about naughty  but it is also a clever thing to notice this. It shows he is really thinking and reacting to his environment.
  • One boy who I chat to and know his mum took my hand to show me some toy or to play. I walked with him a bit and asked what toy we were off to look at. Alexander saw this and had a breakdown. He screamed and cried. He climbed down the stairs super fast, walked with record speed to make sure this little boy knew that I was not his mummy and that he was my child not his. He then wanted a huge cuddle and moved this boys hand and body away from me. He really did not like the idea that another child was wanting attention from me and it was not on!
  • Joking around and laughing at mummy and daddies jokes
  • Loves cuddles
  • Loves his teddies
  • Loves the outdoors and is very happy being outside. We have not been able to do this due to non stop rain but I hope that the rain stops for a while now.
  • Eating more food and tasting different food. He is a good eater and is very good with new tastes.

Does your little person love to explore? I found it interesting that my little boy was not interested in baby time at all!

What about your baby/child?

Did you find that other kids just sat and listened to the show or event that you went to? Aside from your child that likes to roam and explore! Mine could not sit still.

Maybe it is the age? He could just not be that focused or ready for baby time yet.

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Family

Be Different in 2017

In 2017 I want to be different.

I know just announcing that I want to be different is a huge statement.

I know I can’t magically be Angelina Jolie or maybe Drew Barrymore.  However, it would be nice to be able to magic up some things like a new house, more money or say kids that do as they are told? I can dream can’t I?

This is what I want to do more of this year. Relaxing in my garden or under a tree.
This is what I want to do more of this year. Relaxing in my garden or under a tree.

By different I mean do things differently, pare back, simplify, and take some time to just be.

 

In 2016 I was racing around like a mad person. I had a new baby and kids at school that required me taking them to many after school activities. This year I want to stop many of the after-school activities aside from two that the girls love and that is about it.

 

Now it is 2017 I would love to be a calmer and more productive year for all, more so for me as a mummy. I was the one dealing with carting people back and forth and trying to keep an annoyed and tired baby entertained while the kids had their time at guitar practice or other activity.

This year it would be a lovely change to go home and to just be. The only fight I see on the horizon for after school is getting kids to do their homework. Other than that, maybe tidying their room and helping around the house but that is a standard annoyance.

One other major annoyance I have had is the stress that goes along with getting kids to listen and do as they are told. I do try and keep calm but my voice gets raised and then I end up yelling after the millionth time of telling and asking for someone to do a simple task! Yes, frustrating to say the least.

So, this year I would like to yell less or maybe not at all. I know that I’m not perfect and being a real mum means that things don’t happen like the movies or the magazines, but it would be nice to have things go a little more smoothly this year.

Another major milestone is about to happen soon, our little boy Alexander is going to start day-care. I know some might not think day-care is a good idea but I feel that it will help his socialisation with others and especially kids his own age.

He will explore and learn new things and it will all help his development. I am rather anxious about this day but also to excited. The anxious part is Alexander is still very clingy to me and frets when I leave the room, I hope that he will love the place and forget about me when we are there. We are scheduled for an orientation day so that he can get used to the space and people, and I hope this helps him feel more secure at the day-care centre.

On the days that he goes to care I am hoping to get more done with the blog and the house. The alone time will also allow me to do things that I cannot do with kids, maybe get my hair done, go to the movies by myself, go to the gym or maybe do some laps in the pool, or how about finally go for a walk on my own without a pram. Oh, how I am looking forward to this.

I do hope that Alexander will love childcare, he is such a busy little person that I’m sure he will keep everyone on their toes and enjoy all the new experiences.

The twins started childcare a day a week once they turned one. It did them a world of good and especially me, due to no family nearby.  I am on my own looking after the kids. Hubby works late so if something needs to be done I do it.

It was nice when I had that one day per week for just me. I could either plan to do something for me or whiz through the house and do a huge tidy up. It is so much easier to tidy without kids seeing what you are doing… and terrible if they see you chuck out their artwork or prized creations. (cue the screaming and tears!)

I am prepared that I will be upset for a few weeks until Alexander settles in and I hope that he likes it as much as I think he will. We will see.

This is me... well not really but I am pretending. I am spending some much needed time in the pool.
This is me… well not really but I am pretending. I am spending some much needed time in the pool.

Lately I’ve been thinking of all the things that I would love to achieve this year. Some are huge and others are not. Many align to my calmer and simpler idea for 2017:

  • Cut down on after school activities
  • Less television time
  • More time with the kids
  • Less or no yelling
  • Be calmer
  • Do more exercise
  • Be happier
  • De-clutter the house to feel better
  • Days for just me (Mummy). I could be blogging away on my new laptop or just at the pool doing laps, or maybe seeing a film no else wishes to see and I finally can. It could even be a day at the spa????? A Pamper day for me…what a delightful thought.
  • A tidier and more organised home that makes everyone happier and calmer.

 

Do you have goals for 2017? Are they to just do less like mine? I know I have a full list of other things but if I’m not racing around to get to the other activities I have time to prioritise on the real tasks I wish to focus on.

I suppose I’m looking at what is important to me and my family. What are your priorities for 2017?

Maybe another way to look at new year goals is what annoyed you last year that you don’t wish to do ever again, this way you can simplify your year and make you happier at the same time.

I for one hated the fact that the kids and I only had one day per week to be at home after school. The rest was filled with activities I had to race to, and all the while keep a baby happy and sometimes this was not possible and I had a screaming baby.

Let me know what you have decided to not do in 2017 that will put a smile on your face. Send in your comments.

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Things to do

Christmas Events For the Family

Below are some wonderful events to celebrate Christmas and the festive season. This is just a few events and is by no means a full breakdown of things to do.

The kids will love them and I’m sure adults will as well. Take the whole family and enjoy.

Christmas in the Sky at Sydney Tower Eye
Santa’s Highest Grotto 3rd December – 23rd December 2016

Santa waiting to hear what you want for Christmas. Come along to the Sydney Tower Eye to meet Santa and get your photos taken as well.
Santa waiting to hear what you want for Christmas. Come along to the Sydney Tower Eye to meet Santa and get your photos taken as well.

Who knew that Santa had a grotto 250 metres above street level. It is here that you can experience the magic of the North Pole in the heart of Sydney.

Parents and children will be amazed that Santa’s festive grotto is decorated just like it would be if he was at home, fireplace, Christmas tree and music to make you all feel welcome.

Santa likes to keep updated with the conditions for the reindeer for optimal toy delivery.
Santa likes to keep updated with the conditions for the reindeer for optimal toy delivery.

EVENT DETAILS:
What: Santa’s Highest Grotto at Sydney Tower Eye
Where: Sydney Tower Eye, 100 Market St, Sydney
When: Saturday 3 December to Friday 23 December 2015
Hours: Weekdays: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
Weekends: 11:00am – 6:00pm
11:00am to 6:00pm every day from Saturday 17 December
Cost: Included in price of admission

SYDNEY TOWER EYE DETAILS:
Where: Sydney Tower Eye, 100 Market Street, Sydney
Opening hours: 9.00am – 10.00pm daily. Last admission at 9.00pm
Cost: Best price guarantee when you book online. Walk-up price – Adults: $26.50, Children (4-15yrs): $17. Combination tickets are available with Madame Tussauds Sydney, SEA LIFE Sydney, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary
PHONE: 1800 258 693

For more information please visit: https://www.sydneytowereye.com.au/

 

 

Gingerbread Village by Epicure – Melbourne
1st December – 24th of December 2016
FREE EVENT
Corner of Little Collins and Swanston Street, Melbourne Town Hall, 90-120 Swanston Street

Gingerbread creations from EPICURE
Gingerbread creations from EPICURE

The Gingerbread Village is now in its sixth year and looks like it is going to be bigger and better than previous years. EPICURE’s award-winning Executive Pastry Chef Deniz Karaca and his masterful team have spent about 2000 hours constructing the display, which requires 500kgs of gingerbread, 360kgs of royal icing, 150kgs of marzipan, and is topped off with 800 mini Christmas trees.

The Gingerbread Village has already raised over $100,000 in donations. Proceeds of the Gingerbread Village will go to the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation. If you would like to make a donation, please go to  www.rchfoundation.org.au/gingerbread.

EPICURE is going to be including Melbourne landmarks such as, The Melbourne Cricket Ground, Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, Melbourne Town Hall, Luna Park, and The Melbourne Zoo.

If you wish to get more into the spirit of the season, then why not bake your own gingerbread too. I have Deniz Karaca’s prized gingerbread recipe. Make your own and impress your friends with gingerbread gifts.

 

Christmas Lights Spectacular at The Hunter Valley
4th November – 26th January 2017
Closed 25th December

 

Costs: Check out the costs at the Christmas Lights Spectacular website.

Adult $28

Children (4-15 yrs) $23

Children 3 yrs & under FREE

Family (2 Adults + 2 Child) $92

Day + Night passes available

For more details on Christmas Lights Spectacular, tickets and the full program please visit: www.hvg.com.au

Download the Christmas Lights Spectacular program

What Can You See?

  • Santa’s Workshop
  • Christmas Around the World
  • Underwater Scene – whale, shark, fish and more
  • Cinderella’s Castle and her pumpkin carriage
  • Fairy Garden
  • North Pole
  • Santa’s Plane
  • Christmas Lights Fun Zone (Please note that the Fun Zone requires an additional entry fee alongside Christmas Lights entry. Open from 6:30pm – 10:00pm, $7.50 per person) – This area is just for kids. Jumping castles, obstacle courses, super slide
  • Santa Photos these are at additional costs and are all supplied on 4GB USB. Santa Photos are only available from 4th November to 24th of Dec 2016

christmas-lights-spectacular1

Location: Nestled at the foothills of the Brokenback Ranges, in the heart of the Hunter vineyards

Contact Details: 

Open 7 days from 9am – 4pm and 6.30pm – 10pm
(Closed 25th December).
Phone 02 4998 4000 – 
Email  welcome@hvg.com.au  – Fax  02 4998 4071

This event looks amazing and we wanted to go last year, however I was very pregnant with our little boy at the time. As we had no idea he would be born on his due date of 7th of Jan we did not want to be too far from the hospital. This year I’m keen to take the kids to the Christmas Lights Spectacular and I cannot wait to see their faces light up as much as the lights are already.

What great event have you been to in the lead up to Christmas? Let us know.

I hope you have a lovely time if you do go to these great events and if you have some other fab place to tell us about I cannot wait to hear about that too. Have fun!

Categories
Family

End Of Yearitis

I think I might have end of yearitis. It could be exhaustion, or maybe it could be called being very over term 4. I don’t know if I have the itis,  but I do know that I don’t want to have to go to school drop offs and pick ups anymore, I am over all the after school activities and my brain is now telling me it is summer holidays.

Although my brain is thinking it is summer holidays it is not officially holidays at all. I even thought yesterday was Friday for part of the day, I was hoping that today was the weekend but it was indeed Tuesday and the kids needed to still be taken to school.

You can imagine my annoyance at the fact that Monday was not Friday and Tuesday was not the weekend. No sleeping in and no holidays just yet.

On holidays well wishing I was on holidays and relaxing in my backyard.
On holidays well wishing I was on holidays and relaxing in my backyard.

I really want to just stay at home and potter around and do whatever I want, well with kids as well so maybe the doing whatever I want will never happen. Regardless of doing things that I have been wanting to get to for ages, at least I will not have to pack school lunches, drop kids and pick them up from school and of course taxi everyone to their after school activities. I could just stay at home. I might even still be in my pj’s and not bother to change all day? Maybe that is something that can happen.

I love not having to be anywhere urgently or needing to be somewhere at all. I like the days where you can just have a relaxing fun day at home and everyone has a relaxing enjoyable time. Although some of these moments are short-lived due to the girls claiming they are bored and then suddenly wanting me to take them out which will require a huge drive in the car.

Tomorrow night hubby, the baby and I are off to the local high school to see the girls dance in the junior dance group. I have heard that it is a mixture of many different dances and one kid even told me that there is the chicken dance in there as well. It will be nice to see the girls dance as they have been very busy practicing each week.

End of year dances are a huge clue that the school is getting ready to wind up activities for the year. I am thankful for this as I would love to just be left alone for a bit and not have to take kids or people anywhere for a while. I do think that this is not going to be the case as my kids like to go places even if it is to someones house for a playdate.

I don’t think it is just me that is feeling like this. The twins have been overtired, yelling and carrying on more than usual. I am putting it down to they are over school, very tired and really need the holidays to start.

Are you wanting the holidays to start?  Do you think you have end of yearitis too? Do you think they feel like they have started already?

Having warmer weather always makes me want to be on holiday.  Have you noticed that your kids are over it all too?

 

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Family

Six More Mondays Till Xmas!

This time last year I was super organised. I had presents all sorted, some purchased and even some wrapped up ready for Christmas Day. I was a planning and organising machine.  I was all over it and made sure no one got forgotten. (One other mum asked me in September last year if I had sorted the kids Christmas presents. I gasped with shock at this comment. Why would I get their Christmas gifts sorted when they just had their birthday? She said that she had kids in December and since I was due to have Alexander in January and we had no idea if he would come in Dec/Jan it might be best to get things sorted just in case I ended up in hospital. Geez I had not thought about this. At first I thought I had plenty of time and how silly to be doing it in September. Although I looked at the calendar and due to being very pregnant thought I best get organised.)

Now the same time this year I am not in a super organised state. I have a few gifts purchased and none for immediate family only a gift here and there for my husbands family so far.

Nothing has been purchased for the kids so far.

I hear you gasp in the disbelief of this comment. However it is very true

So why am I not on the ball this year? Well I have not been motivated due to the kids being very naughty and horrible. Every time I do something lovely for them they act like terrors straight after and make me wish I shouldn’t have bothered. Does this happen to you?

Today is the 11th of November and that means that there is only 6 more Mondays to go before it is Christmas! Yes you read that right! Not long to go now.

I have even added the friendly text “DON’T PANIC” so it might calm you down. Yes very Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

DON'T PANIC - There are only 6 more Mondays until Christmas Day! Yes you read that right. Not long to go at all!
DON’T PANIC – There are only 6 more Mondays until Christmas Day! Yes you read that right. Not long to go at all!

 

Are you the type of person who purchases Christmas presents all year?

I sometimes do this. I see something that is perfect for someone and buy it and squirrel it away. One issue with this technique is that you need to remember where you have hidden the presents. You don’t want to be in a panic and have to race out and get a few new gifts due to not being able to find your clever organised gifts that you of course cannot find.

Or do you do all the shopping in the few weeks before Christmas Day?

Maybe you like to race around the shops on Christmas Eve and get the last minute specials. I for one would hate fighting the traffic and the people if shopping on Christmas Eve, that would be annoying.

I have seen some items for the kids but they are so expensive and of course we would need to get two of them so I dismiss them, then of course they turn evil and then my nice thoughts of going Christmas gift shopping has been sidelined to annoyance and why was I bothering at all.

This has been uttered more than twice from me to the kids, “If you don’t start listening and behaving Christmas is going to be cancelled!” Yes bad mother alert here. Have you threatened to cancel Christmas? Let me know if you did and how that worked out?

Don’t get me wrong I am not a scrooge. I love this time of year, the holidays and giving to others. The one thing that is driving me mental is that I race around doing for everyone and don’t seem to get much in return. Yes I have my cranky pants on today, maybe the cranky pants have been cleaned and worn again due to the constant drama in our house at the moment. Don’t think that I never clean my pants due to being cranky a lot! (I just had to put that in here)

Kermit helping decorate the tree for Christmas. He has done a great job don't you think?
Kermit helping decorate the tree for Christmas. He has done a great job don’t you think?

Is it the age that the kids just ignore you? Don’t listen? Race off and never come back when they are called? Hurt each other and more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see I am not a happy camper with the idea of rushing off to reward little peoples bad behaviour. I do think that it is the fact that they are so tired due to it being the end of the year, they are super excited about holidays, being in a new grade next year and of course Christmas. Do you find that your kids go a bit silly at the end of the year?

There is still time to get a few gifts for the kids before the actual day. I am just wondering what to give my darling girls this year. I don’t want little toys that will get lost and also cost a fortune. I don’t want more stuffed teddies as they have so many already, they don’t need more dolls although they have asked for some. I could get them more LEGO but they might get annoyed it is not something different. I do like to get them a set of LEGO to add to their collection (due to the fact they both love to create LEGO I like to make sure they have enough to share, hence adding to the collection).

I have been asked to get horse or a kitten, we will not be getting a horse due to space and costs but the kitten will have to wait until we are in our new house.

Are you organised for this Christmas?

Have you had to deal with kids being naughty and not behaving? Do you tell them to act nicer or else they might not get pressies on Christmas Day?

Let us know what you do to make things easier this time of year.

Categories
Family

Did you tell the baby you were going to playgroup?

Do you take your baby to a playgroup? Does your baby love it?

I have attempted to take our baby boy to the playgroup that is at the twin’s school. I thought that this would be ideal. I am already at the school after dropping off the girls and while there it would be perfect for the baby to play, and it might mean I can get a drink by myself. Well I can hope can’t I.

This playgroup at the kid’s school is lovely, the organisers have toys all laid out and so many things for all different age groups to play with.

I have on several occasions we have gone and I have put the baby down so he can explore. There are so many things that would allow him to have fun and have new experiences. Although he did not enjoy his time and just was a hysterical mess; crying, screaming and grabbing for me. He just wanted mummy and cuddles. Don’t put the baby down was the message.

Baby upset. Not sure why. Could be the fact it is a new environment at playgroup.
Baby upset. Not sure why. Could be the fact it is a new environment at playgroup.

There were a few moments where he looked like he was okay. I then told him that I was just getting my coffee and will be back soon. He must have thought I was leaving him and he sped crawled to me and tried to climb up my legs to get into my arms. Oh the poor little boy.

I explained all this to my husband and he asked, “Did you tell him what you were doing and where you were going?”

I responded with, “I told the baby that I was just getting a coffee but I did not tell the baby we were going to playgroup? Do you think he is upset due to not being told where we were going?”

Hubby laughed at me. I thought he was asking whether I explained to the baby exactly where we were going and what we were doing. I did not, although I did tell the baby I was just getting my drink.

This got me thinking… Do you tell your baby where you are going? I try to and although I didn’t that day, I did tell the baby that I was just getting my coffee and would be straight back, although he freaked out about this as well.

Yes, I know that the baby does not know what I am saying. He cannot talk and panics when he thinks it looks like I am leaving, although I was coming back.

  • Maybe it was his teeth?
  • Maybe it was the fact he was not feeling well?
  • Could it be the fact that he is not feeling comfortable in the space and was scared?

I ended up leaving due to the fact that Alexander was shaking, crying and just really upset. Small steps I think is best if your baby is not liking something or finding things hard. Also if they are upset best to leave and make them feel secure, calm and comfortable.

So what I thought hubby was saying was if I just told the baby, “We are going to playgroup today” then he would have been happier? I don’t know. I don’t think so. I have been back to the same group and I think our little boy is not feeling comfortable in the space. It could be the size of the room, too many people or something that I will never be able to answer.

It could just take time for him to get used to certain situations. Have you been to places where your baby is not happy or 100% and other places they are super happy? What do you think the issue is? Have you figured it out?

Categories
Family

Eat A Rainbow

It is National Nutrition Week – 16th of October to 22nd October, and the aim is to increase the amount of veggies and fruits we eat each day.

Did you know?

“Less than 1% of Australian children and teens get enough veggies each day, yet over 1/3 of their daily energy comes from ‘discretionary foods’ such as biscuits, lollies, fast food and sugary drinks.”

The Teeny Tiny Stevies are the National Nutrition Week Ambassadors that are inspiring kids and also to parents.

“Kids Music That Doesn’t Suck”  Zoe Foster-Blake

The sisters behind Teeny Tiny Stevies, Byll and Beth started as a fun project but has become very popular with kids and adults alike. The sisters have been playing Australian Folk Festivals since they were teenagers, including Woodford, Port Fairy, and the National Folk Festival in 2016. Oh and also travelling to Canada for the Folk Festival circuit in 2011.

If you wish to catch the Teen Tiny Stevies live here are their dates throughout Australia:

TEENY TINY STEVIES LIVE DATES

Fri Oct 14th – The Little Bookroom, Carlton Vic (10.30am Musical Storytime!)
Fri Oct 21st – National Nutrition Week Event, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne
Sat Oct 22nd – Ararat Primary School, Ararat Vic
Sat Oct 29th – The Lost Lands Festival, Werribee Mansion Vic
Sun Nov 6th – Darebin Music Feast Closing Party, Preston Vic
Fri Nov 11th – The Children’s Bookshop, Sydney NSW (9.45am Musical Storytime!)
Sun Nov 13th – Newtown Festival, Sydney NSW
Dec 27th – Woodford Folk Festival, QLD

So what can you do to add more colour to your plate?

You should aim to “eat a rainbow”. Add different coloured vegetables and fruits to your meals.

The different varieties gives you a good mix of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and phytochemicals.

Another interesting fact:

“The Australian government could save $58 million in health expenditure if only males ate as much vegetables as females.” *Source: http://bit.ly/2dZMJDP

Try for 5

The theme of this years Nutrition Week is to aim to add 5 veggies or fruits to your day. Yes add 5 vegetables of different colours. If you do your body will thank you.

If you consume plenty of fruit and veggies it can help reduce your risk of some cancers, heart disease, stroke and also diabetes.

#TryFor5

Different coloured fruit and veggies ready to eat. Don't they look yummy!
Different coloured fruit and veggies ready to eat. Don’t they look yummy!

My aim with the kids is to expose them to more fruits and veggies. They are fussy eaters and it has been a huge challenge. The plan is to have a new food on the plate each night and they have to at least taste it. I hope this goes well… or else I can hide it all again.

What do you do to make sure your kids eat more fruit and veggies?

Categories
Family

The Planking Baby

Do you have a baby that loves to plank? If they do the below then the answer is a big YES. By planking, I mean that the baby makes their legs stiff and also their torso, which means they don’t want to sit down or lie down at all.

  • I try and put the baby in the pram and this is met with stiff legs, arching back, screaming and carrying on.
  • I attempt to put the baby in the car seat and he stands up. I try and make him sit down but he ends up with stiff legs and a very tight stiff little body that resembles a plank. He then turns over and just tosses and turns which makes it even harder to put him in the seat and to finally attempt to put the seat belt on him.
  • I want to change his nappy and take him to his room where the change table is and all of the nappies and supplies, and yes you might have guessed it. He tightens up makes his legs super long and straight and will not allow me to put him on the table. He yells and screams and I think it is a reaction to not wanting to go to bed now. I tell him that all I want to do is to change his nappy but he continues with his planking efforts and struggling so much that it is a fight to just get a nappy off him and put the new one on.

This cute and adorable baby looks so innocent here. However when you finally want to put him in the pram, or say the car seat or maybe change his nappy beware of the planking child! The stiff legs and focus to not want to sit or lie down will do your head in.
This cute and adorable baby looks so innocent here. However when you finally want to put him in the pram, or say the car seat or maybe change his nappy beware of the planking child! The stiff legs and focus to not want to sit or lie down will do your head in.

I am not understanding why normal things that you have done without an issue before have suddenly become a fight. My little boy has been doing this for a while now and I think it started at about six months or so.

I’ve tried a different tact. I played with him for a bit. I blew raspberries on his belly, arms and legs, plus tickled him under the arms to great giggles of delight. Once we had a bit of playtime I tried again with the reason I was in his room in the first instance, to change his nappy. That did not go well as he thought we were playing and it was all fun and games. At least he was happy with the games and tickles.

Has this happened to you? Suddenly you have a baby that fights you with getting in the pram, the car seat and getting his nappy changed? The twins did not do this and I for one am finding it difficult as the twins are always at each other lately, and now it feels like everything is such a struggle.

I wondered if this was happening to other mums so I looked online. The answer is yes other babies are doing the same thing. I really don’t remember the twins doing this and some of the answers say that babies get stiff legs and don’t want to be in the pram, car seat or get their nappy changed. This is due to being frustrated, playing or just not wanting to have this happen to them. I cannot pick the times that I want to change a nappy, sometimes it just needs to happen. I had two prime examples of this today, the baby did back-to-back skanky poos and that had to be changed immediately! Although the baby did his planking and turning I soldiered on and managed to get him in a fresh nappy without making a mess. Winning so far!

I know it would be frustrating not to be able to communicate with the people around you and make things difficult for your mum or dad by wanting to stand when you are really wanting your child to sit means that the kid is trying to control the situation.

Is this the start of Alexander telling me that he doesn’t want to do something? If it is, I hope not. My little baby boy needs to come along regardless of whether he likes to or not.  I already have two kids that think they are future lawyers due to their skills in questioning and trying to change the situation, I don’t need a third yet.

Let me know if you have a baby that loves to plank when you just want them to sit or do something else.

How have you handled the issue of the tight legs and the carrying on when you just want the kid to sit in their car seat so you can leave the shops?

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Categories
Review

Little Nation Balance Bike Helps With Confidence

Disclaimer: Little Nation sent me a Balance Bike to review. However, due to the twin’s ages, they were too old. I asked a friend to review the bike for me and to write a review. Max’s Dad wrote the following about their experience with the Little Nation Balance Bike. Thanks so much to Max’s dad for the lovely review and fab pictures of Max enjoying his new Balance Bike from Little Nation.

Little Max loves his Little Nation Balance Bike. I got it for him when he was about 20 months after he ripped the front wheel of his trike off in an over-ambitious downhill incident. I also got him a helmet.

Max having fun riding his Little Nation Balance Bike.
Max having fun riding his Little Nation Balance Bike.

Learning to ride was a lot easier than I thought it would be. He fell off a few times trying to get on at first but could easily pick the bike up himself and try again. After a couple of days, he was walking along quite comfortably and after a couple of months, he put his feet up to glide along using his momentum. After four months I was jogging to keep up with him and now I just ride my own bike alongside and we zoom around town together. Our longest ride so far has been 3.5 kilometres without a single fall.

The seat height is adjusted with a 4mm hex key and I found putting it very low at the beginning helped with confidence, but putting it higher and higher as he gets more confident and taller helps him keep his legs up easily. At two and a half Max is nowhere near the top of the seat adjustment and he’s a pretty tall kid. The Little Nation people have left a lot of room for kids to grow into their bikes. Although we’re not nearly there yet, I think the wheels are replaceable with bigger 12 inches and possibly even 14 inches when he gets to that height.

The seat position can also be adjusted with a hex key and moving the seat forward in the beginning and back as he grew in confidence and arm length helped make the bike more stable, but meant there was more weight on the handlebars. It’s something worth playing with and I’m glad I’ve got the option.

Soon Max will be zipping around on his balance bike. Did your kids first learn to ride on a balance bike?
Soon Max will be zipping around on his balance bike. Did your kids first learn to ride a balance bike?

The Little Nation Balance Bike is a very sturdy little bike. The headset is easy to tighten, and the handlebar is a single piece of tube steel and unbreakable. The wheels are moulded true and I’m very impressed with the ultra-strong cone and bearing hubs – just like Daddy’s bike! Little Nation has over-engineered its balance bike in all the places where failure tends to be catastrophic and I’m confident it can handle anything a person under 27 kg can throw at it.

All in all, I’m extremely pleased with the Little Nation. Max has already spent many, many hours on it, and has many years before he outgrows it. It exhausts the poop out of him and we’re guaranteed a nap, 12 hours of night sleep and grateful gobbling if we go for a morning ride for an hour or so.

I’m sure the Little Nation is the first step on a lifetime journey of riding bikes.

Did your kids gain confidence with a balance bike?

If they are learning to ride maybe a balance bike might be great to help your child/children to help their confidence with bike riding.

Let us know if you have given a balance bike a go?

I would just like to say a BIG thank you to Little Nation for providing the Balance Bike for review. Max and his daddy love it, and now Max is a confident young rider of bikes. Yes, how cool is that!

Note: This post has affiliate links

Categories
Teaching and Learning

Play & Learn with LEGO® DUPLO

I was lucky to go to The LEGO® DUPLO Creative Play workshop. We as a family love LEGO. Yes, rather a strong word to use for a toy but it is true. I played with LEGO when I was little, so did my sister, so did hubby and now so do our girls, and of course, our little boy will do as well.

The LEGO DUPLO Workshop was led by play expert Hanne Boutrup. Hanne was an inspiration, she made you want to play with LEGO bricks, get involved and just have fun. A perfect person to showcase the reasons that LEGO DUPLO (is for younger children to help with development and learning) is ideal for kids.

Hanne Boutrup was brilliant and really had everyone energised about LEGO DUPLO and how it helps children worldwide.
Hanne Boutrup was brilliant and really had everyone energised about LEGO DUPLO and how it helps children worldwide.

Did You Know?

The LEGO Group began in 1932, with Ole Kirk Christiansen who was a carpenter from Billund, Denmark who made wooden toys.

“LEGO is named after two Danish words LEG GODT (meaning Play Well) to produce the LEGO® name. The name is intended to reflect quality and the child’s right to enjoyable play.”

Alexander having fun with LEGO DUPLO
Alexander having fun with LEGO DUPLO

 

LEGO is a great toy but it is so much more.  So what can LEGO DUPLO do?

  • Help children with storytelling and communication. Using the LEGO DUPLO bricks and characters allows children to create their own world. When you are spending time with your child playing with LEGO DUPLO you can use the different creations as launch pads to tell stories. These creative stories help your child understand how stories are told, for example, stories have a beginning, a middle and an ending and the story needs to be told in this sequence or the person listening will get lost. This is a good skill to have as this leads to good communication that will help your child in the future.
  • You can teach fractions, shapes, patterns, colours, lengths and basic maths with LEGO DUPLO. Your kids will not even know they are learning, they will think they are just having a great time playing.
  • Being creative. Building cities, aeroplanes, birds, dinosaurs and really anything that you can think of. Don’t be confined to just the instructions that are included in the pack. LEGO DUPLO allows kids to create whatever their heart desires. There are no restrictions.

Alexander loved playing with LEGO DUPLO. When he is older I'm sure he will build amazing worlds.
Alexander loved playing with LEGO DUPLO. When he is older I’m sure he will build amazing worlds.

This workshop was hands-on. We all had to open a pack of LEGO DUPLO bricks and get building.

Our first task was to build a bridge that would allow two LEGO DUPLO characters to get across the river that had huge fish in them and who knows if they were vicious! Yes, you had no idea so best to be careful.

My group came up with a great creation that allowed the characters to cross the river. We carefully engineered a bridge with side rails and steps to access it. We were safety conscious hence the safety rails.

The Bridge our table built to get the LEGO DUPLO characters over the river safely.
The Bridge our table built to get the LEGO DUPLO characters over the river safely.

 

“Did you know that your brain is making use of the most critical skills for learning when playing with LEGO® bricks? Even when you build and rebuild with just a few bricks you stimulate more than 20 skills, supporting competencies such as problem-solving, creativity, empathy, communication and collaboration. “

 

Our second task was that we had to sit back to back to our partner and one person built with the LEGO DUPLO and the other person directed what to build. It was a very interesting lesson on communication and how to direct others when you cannot ask questions.

The second attempt at LEGO DUPLO at the Creative Workshop. It was very close but not exact. Better and more precise direction might have been better. This was a good way to showcase how if you have really good communication your team can benefit.
The second attempt at LEGO DUPLO at the Creative Workshop. It was very close but not exact. The better and more precise direction might have been better. This was a good way to showcase how if you have really good communication your team can benefit.

As you can see it was close but if the communication was more directional that would have been better. It would have hopefully led to an exact match with each creation of LEGO DUPLO.

We were also asked to take seven bricks and create a structure. It could be anything as long as it used seven bricks. This is an interesting exercise that you can use with your children. See what they create. Let them tell you the stories about the structure and why they built it the way they did.

Having a blast exploring all the blocks and new things that LEGO DUPLO offer.
Having a blast exploring all the blocks and new things that LEGO DUPLO offer.

“Did you know that LEGO® bricks produced since 1958 are fully compatible with LEGO bricks produced today”

 

The workshop showcased ways that I as a parent can help my children learn more with LEGO and also LEGO DUPLO.

Asking questions about the story, the building, the reason why something was done and finding fun ways to incorporate maths and other school learning into play is an amazing tool. Learning about patterns, counting and just having fun means that your kids will not even realise they are learning.

With the whole focus on innovation and creativity in the workplace the skills that LEGO DUPLO gives you are essential. It will help children in the workplace. If they are creative they have great ideas, solve problems and are innovative. There is a leaning now towards STEM subjects and LEGO DUPLO can help with these subjects for younger children, well at least introduce the ideas in a creative, fun and age-appropriate way.

It was lovely to meet Hanne Boutrup at the LEGO DUPLO Creative Workshop. I thought she was such an amazing speaker and so inspiring about children, learning and creativity. Alexander is also pleased to have been there as well.
It was lovely to meet Hanne Boutrup at the LEGO DUPLO Creative Workshop. I thought she was such an amazing speaker and so inspiring about children, learning and creativity. Alexander is also pleased to have been there as well.

Do your kids love LEGO DUPLO? Do you have older kids that love LEGO too?

My helper had to put his feet up. To much building with LEGO DUPLO. He had a well earned rest.
My helper had to put his feet up. Too much building with LEGO DUPLO. He had a well-earned rest.

Have you used LEGO to teach your children without them even knowing? What is your favourite thing to do with the kids and LEGO?

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Categories
Family

Signs I Need More Sleep or Coffee

Picture this.

3am or so in the morning.

Screaming baby due to teething and also has a cold.

I go into the baby’s room to settle him and make sure he is okay.

I started the process of giving him his medicine so it will take effect before I give him a bottle.

Normally I add some eucalyptus oil to his singlet, give him some painkillers (the painkillers are also helping the cold as well) for the teeth and change his nappy.

All the things needed for our little boy is placed on top of a chest of draws, this way he cannot grab onto it when I am trying to change him. He is now more mobile and also super quick to pick things up. I don’t want him to be sucking on the Vicks container or say the eucalyptus oil or something else! You can imagine how that would end up… a very unhappy boy to say the least.

I thought I grabbed the eucalyptus oil bottle and proceeded to put one bit on one side of the singlet and then the other. However, after I did it I realised it was very sticky. It also did not smell like eucalyptus oil.

Why was it sticky I thought?  What did I put on the babies singlet?????

I ended up putting Panadol on the baby… The bottle was right next to the eucalyptus oil. It was dark, I was tired, plus dealing with a screaming baby. I just wanted to get it all done.

In my haste to have the baby feeling better my actions only made things worse. The baby was all sticky due to the Panadol and had to have an outfit change. If you thought that he was screaming before he put on another great performance due to the new clothes.

Panadol is not eucalyptus oil.
Panadol is not eucalyptus oil.

You might think this is just one silly thing that happened last week and you are right it was silly but it is not the only one. My next one is very silly indeed.

I was at the shops and thought I should get some more coffee pods for my machine. I saw that there were some new ones and they were strong coffee. Yes, I think I need that. I popped that in the shopping trolley. I paid for it and put it all away once home. I of course got busy and since I had finished off a box of my other coffee was keen to try out the new strong coffee that I had recently purchased.

The new coffee pods that I was hoping to use. However I never had the chance. They don't fit my coffee machine. Yes very annoying to say the least!
The new coffee pods that I was hoping to use. However I never had the chance. They don’t fit my coffee machine. Yes very annoying to say the least!

The new box of coffee was opened and I put the pod in the coffee machine to have it fall straight down. It did not stick or stay where it was supposed to. I tried again and of course the same thing happened. Geez what is the issue here. I then tried in desperation to be really quick with the lever so the pod might stay in the spot it is supposed to be in. However, it was not to be. It just slid down into the bin inside like it was used up and I had already drunk my coffee… but I had not!!!!

I then made the realisation that my new strong coffee pods were not for my machine. No they were much smaller and that is why they slid right out, and would not let me drink its magical coffee. I will never know how good it would have been, it will always remain an unknown.

As you can easily see the new coffee pod is much smaller than my usual one on the right. No wonder it did not fit in my machine. Also it is for a different brand of machine so there would be no way to use them.
As you can easily see the new coffee pod is much smaller than my usual one on the right. No wonder it did not fit in my machine. Also it is for a different brand of machine so there would be no way to use them.

How could I have been so stupid and silly to purchase coffee pods for a different machine. Why did I not look at this before I bought them? Why did I not see the difference in size when I first tried to put it in my machine?

All these questions might be answered with I really needed a coffee before I did anything or I really needed to go back to bed and get some much needed sleep.

I should have just purchased more of the same. Yes this is my regular coffee that I purchase. I do like to have a change and thought that I got it, however it was more of a surprise that I cannot use it.
I should have just purchased more of the same. Yes this is my regular coffee that I purchase. I do like to have a change and thought that I got it, however it was more of a surprise that I cannot use it.

I did tell all this to hubby the other night and then he ended up hysterically laughing on the floor of the kitchen. I must say that I had no idea that it was that funny but maybe he is sleep deprived too, so it seemed funnier than it actually was.

What silly or funny things have you done due to being sleep deprived?

Categories
Family

Panadol’s Online Resources for Parents

As a mother to twin girls and a little boy I want to ensure that all my kids are healthy and well. I’m sure if you are a parent or help care for kids that would be what you would like too. However there are times when everyone gets sick. One child might have a cold, a fever, the flu or if it was like our ongoing saga with tonsillitis it effected both kids until they were removed (the girls have been well aside from the common cold and illness since the removal of their tonsils.)

Shelley Craft, Buddy Bear, myself (Suzanne), the girls and our little boy. What fun the kids had, although the baby was teething and still is. (He cheered up once he got some Children's Panadol to make him feel better)
Shelley Craft, Buddy Bear, myself (Suzanne), the girls and our little boy. What fun the kids had, although the baby was teething and still is. (He cheered up once he got some Children’s Panadol to make him feel better)

When your little ones get sick you do your best to make them feel better. It could be cuddles, songs, yummy food, and favourite shows and of course some medicine to help your kids feel more like themselves and allow the body to get better, rest is best so that you can be well.

No matter how simple or common the sickness is you cannot help but worry about your children. When my kids are sick I am worried about them all the time.

Last Thursday the kids and I went to learn about Children’s Panadol (The kids were excited to meet Shelley Craft. Yes I watch The Block and therefore so do the kids) great new online resources to help parents care for sick kids and to also alleviate the anxiety that can go with sickness.

Shelley Craft from the Block and Dr Kimberley O’Brien who is the founder of Quirky Kid Clinic and also an expert in child development and mental health. Both Shelley Craft and Dr O’Brien spoke about how to have planning strategies to help parents deal with stress and anxiety when children get ill as it can be HUGE help for parents and children as well.

This talk was in response to a “new global survey of parents, including Australians, suggests that parents manage day to day mishaps and mistakes calmly, but still get stressed about the important things like helping their children through illness”

“71% of Australian parents fell anxious about fever/temperature and 66% feel anxious about their child’s pain”

Children’s Panadol have created the following tools to help support parents in managing their child’s health:

  1. Buddy Bear is an interactive animated website that allows parents to entertain children when they are sick. It is a good idea to create the different files before you need them as you can save them to your device. Once you are on the site you are asked if your child is a boy/girl. Then fill in age, email and add photo and your video will be emailed to you when it is ready. Get organised and download a few so you have them ready.
    While your child is watching Buddy Bear you can get the dosage of Children’s Panadol correct and not be so flustered and anxious.

    Buddy Bear - The great new interactive way to keep your little one entertained while you get the medicine sorted to help your child get better. Developed and created by Children's Panadol.
    Buddy Bear – The great new interactive way to keep your little one entertained while you get the medicine sorted to help your child get better. Developed and created by Children’s Panadol.
  1. The First Five Years Book – This fabulous resource is written by child health nurses to help parents with practical tips and tricks to help them understand the ups and downs from birth to 5 years old, help you enjoy being a parent, learn about major milestones, understand activities that your baby might be doing. You can read it online or download it.
  2. Bub Tracker App – This is a FREE App that helps new parents with advice on dosage for medicines, feeding tracker, feeding log and much more.“Parents do not sweat the small stuff, but worry more about the illness cause, recovery and prevention – especially mothers”

Children's Panadol Bub Tracker App - Great guide for parents
Children’s Panadol Bub Tracker App – Great guide for parents

I hate it when kids are sick. I wish I could make it all go away.  I also hate when I get sick, yes if kids get ill, I end up sick too! Perils of motherhood.

 

The tools from Panadol are a HUGE help to make it a little easier on parents and also kids. I have downloaded some of buddy bear’s interactive videos in preparation for Alexander.

Dr Kimberley O’Brien has 5 tips to help manage anxiety and soothe your sick child/children:

  1. Make a Plan. Having a plan removes second guessing yourself and the worry. Make sure that you include distraction and calming tools if medication is required.
  2. Know your tools. Have a favourite toy/book/game to help comfort your child. A personalised DVD that the child will be happy to watch would be of great help.
  3. Empathise. Try and see the situation from your child’s point of view and this can give you some insight into their behaviour.
  4. Do familiar things. If you can make sure you stick to your regular family routine. This will create a sense of normality at home and allow everyone to be more relaxed.
  5. Manage your anxiety. Call on your support network for help. You need a break if you are the only one caring for a sick child, a break will allow you to increase your quality of care and not get burnt out in the process.

 

“They are less concerned with diet, medication usage or what they are doing wrong – though parents of younger children worry more.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly parents of children aged 6-12 are not as ‘extremely ’anxious”

Teething and very upset. Mummy cuddles are very helpful. Photo taken in a darken room due to sleeping baby. Yes did not want to wake him.
Teething and very upset. Mummy cuddles are very helpful. Photo taken in a darken room due to sleeping baby. Yes did not want to wake him.

What are your thoughts on making a plan to be ready for sick kids? Well you are not planning on having sick kids, just how to deal with it.

I love the Buddy Bear videos and the bear is so magical to watch. You could sit for hours just being amazed at how cute and wonderful the bear is. Kids will love this as much as adults do. Give it a go, download and save some videos just in case you need them. Also check out the other online resources from Children’s Panadol.

Disclaimer: I went along to the media briefing about Children’s Panadol to learn ways parents can be less anxious and to hear about techniques that can help children when sick. I have had many times when the twins were ill, they then got me ill and now with a baby it will all happen again (Currently Alexander has a cold and is also teething. Joyousness it is not!). I think that the online resources that Children’s Panadol showcased are excellent, not only are they FREE, they are highly informative as well. Thanks to Children’s Panadol for the invite and allowing the kids and I to learn more about your online tools.

 

Categories
Family

Bonding with Baby

How long did it take you to bond with your baby?

Do you think it was an instantaneous thing? Well for some that happens, but for others it can take a while.

According to a national survey that interviewed 500 women, “seven out of ten mums think they are going to bond at birth with their bubs, but more than half find it takes much longer than that.

Pinky McKay a Lactation consultant has said, ‘baby bonding was “a bit like falling in love” Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it takes ages for the magic to develop. “(Herald Sun, July 24, 2016)

The national survey was commissioned by WOTBaby which is an app that acts like a midwife in your pocket. It is a good tool for parents to consult and it goes up to six months of age.

The WOTBaby app was developed by Jen Hamilton who is a mothercraft nurse.

“In my experience, I generally find on average, mums truly bond with their child at four to five months,” Ms Hamilton said. (Herald Sun, July 24, 2016)

If you are not one of the mums that had the instant bonding moment then you might feel like it is a problem with you. Well you are fine! Trust me. Being pregnant, labor, birth, and now suddenly you have a new little person to care for. It is a BIG SHOCK to the system, and more so if you have twins or more.

The girls love their baby brother.
The girls love their baby brother.

 

Depending on what happened during the birth and afterwards you could have very different reactions to your little bundle of joy.

Here are some things that could delay or not help with bonding:

  • New mum and overwhelmed. Tired or actually more like exhausted. (I was like the walking dead when I first had the twins. Up all the time to feed, change nappies and to also express breast milk. It was a big blur of feeling like I had no sleep)
  • Problems breast feeding. If your baby does not take to it or if you have difficulties it cannot help with the bonding process. (I had to express both times with the twins and now my little boy. We did try breast feeds but it did not work out well for us)
  • Getting Mastitis/ill. I got very ill with mastitis after having Alexander and ended up in hospital for about 3-4 days. I needed antibiotics intravenously and it was not fun. I had the baby with me but it was tough.
  • Premature babies/baby. In my case the twins were born 6 weeks early so they were taken to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) It was hard to bond with babies that were not with me all the time and the fact that they were confined to a humicrib made things difficult.
  • Still recovering from the birth. Depending on what type of birth you had you might still need to rest. This can make caring for a new baby more difficult and can impact on bonding.
  • Support network. Having a good support network is ideal. I know it is hard with everyone being so busy these days, plus living further and further away from each other. If your partner can allow you to have some down time, this can help you to recharge your batteries. It might be harder if you have older children and now a newborn. If people offer help accept it! Don’t put pressure on yourself. Everyone is not perfect. Although you look outside at others and they might appear to have it all together I’m sure they are worrying or annoyed about something. Things take time. Unreal expectations is not healthy and we have all done this, judging ourselves by what we think we should be like or doing. I say take your time. Do your thing and just keep going. You will learn the cues of your little baby, you will figure out what the grunts and gurgles mean. In time you will feel more confident about everything. Learning a new person takes time.

I took a while to bond with my darling twins. I loved them to bits but due to them being in the NICU, being super tired, first time mum, recovering from a very long birth (over 30 hours) as you can imagine things were hectic and I was just doing what I thought I was supposed to do.

After I had the twins the nurses at the NICU were ringing my room to ask me for breast milk. As I just had them and these were my first children the breast milk had not come in yet. Great more pressure. One baby was okay on formula until I got my breastmilk but the other little girl was on strike. She hated the formula and was listed as nil by mouth! Oh gosh….. More phone calls to my room asking for breast milk. More visits by nurses trying to play with my boobs to help me get breast milk and all while I struggled to keep my eyes open.

Since I was in a room on my own and the twins were in the NICU I was told to have pictures of them to help me with the breast milk situation. I did think at times it was all a dream. Did I have kids? Oh yes, I’m in a hospital. Yes I did. Where are they??? Oh that’s right they are in intensive care. It was a very surreal moment and one that I did not feel I could discuss with anyone else. I felt that I would be judged.

Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Katoomba Hosp. Julia on left, Lillian on right.
Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Katoomba Hosp. Julia on left, Lillian on right.

So as you can see my first experience was unique due to having twins as my first children. Now looking back to the birth with our little boy in January this year it was completely different. The birth and care was so much nicer and calmer… maybe that was due to one baby this time or the fact that he was born on his due date? Maybe it was also due to not having a full room of student doctors, nurses, and two doctors for each baby, extra support people and two humidicribs for the twins. Having one baby that was on time meant that I had one midwife, one nurse, hubby and me in the delivery room. It was so nice to not have a full gallery of people there.

Due to having one baby this time, also being a good weight and being born on his due date he was put on me after birth. This was a nice experience as it did not happen when the twins were born. It allowed me to have some time cuddling our new little person and to help bond.

I did find that due to some issues with our little boy not latching on the breast properly, and having silent reflux, being fussy about things it made the first three months rather difficult. He screamed the place down due to having air in his belly and it was hard to remove! I think with age he got better and therefore after about three months he was much calmer, and this made feeding and the bedtime routine easier.

Alexander and I on the day he was born. It was nice to have the first cuddles. Look at all that hair!
Alexander and I on the day he was born. It was nice to have the first cuddles. Look at all that hair!

Another concern was how the twins would bond with the baby. We did not know if it was a boy/girl, although Julia wanted the baby to be a girl. She wanted to be the three sisters and have a picture taken at the Three Sisters at Katoomba. As you know we had a boy and the twins are so in love with their little baby brother. They help out and dote on him all the time, he is going to be a very spoilt little boy. My worries were for nothing. Did you do this when you had the second or third child? Stress about how the other kids would go with the new baby?

Our family is complete with our little baby boy and our twin girls. We love our kids to bits, and would not change anything. It took a while to get into the swing of things and that helped us learn everything about our three cheeky monkeys.

3 tips to remember!

  1. Bonding is a personal experience. Don’t measure or judge yourself on what others are doing.
  2. Don’t put pressure on yourself if bonding with baby is not instant. It can take up to six months or maybe more.
  3. Don’t confuse not bonding with not loving your baby. You’re a mum, of course, you love your baby and the bonding will happen, so just relax and it will happen when it happens.

If you are experiencing postnatal depression/postnatal anxiety or having issues bonding with their baby contact PANDA on 1300 726 306. The hotline is open from 10am to 5pm.

 

Due to the launch of WOTbaby the topic of bonding with babies has been in the media. I was on Today Extra with Jen Hamilton discussing the issue.

I was also featured in an article by Smooth FM called, “When you don’t bond with your baby instantly”.

Let us know how you went with your first or second or third babies? Was it the same or different? How did you go?

Categories
Family

Just Like Me

The other day one of the girls walked into the kitchen bawling her eyes out. She was so upset she could hardly tell me what the issue was. Once she calmed down a bit I finally learnt what the problem was.

I did initially think that she or her sister had hurt themselves and we might need to take a trip to the hospital. Thank goodness it wasn’t the case.

The kid who was extremely upset told me that she was very sad that Amy Pond and Rory had died. For those that are not aware of these names or characters, they are in Doctor Who. Yes my girls take after hubby and I with their love for the Doctor.

Amy Pond and Rory Williams, from Doctor Who. Image found on Pinterest.
Amy Pond and Rory Williams, from Doctor Who. Image found on Pinterest.

I tired so hard to make her feel better but she kept on saying things about Amy and Rory like they were real people…… OH gosh… what do I do now???? She is a sensitive little bunny and these things upset her. I was like her as a child.

Yes there are moments that I get frustrated at behaviour and then realise that I am exactly the same. Do you do this too?
Yes there are moments that I get frustrated at behaviour and then realise that I am exactly the same. Do you do this too?

One thing that I did say was how about we watch the next episode to see what happens….So I will do that with her to see what happens next. From memory all works out well….but she does not know that.

Although I was shocked at her attachment and upset for the characters of Doctor Who, I had to think back to what I did when I saw this episode for the first time.

I did the same thing. Yes I cry and get very upset. I do the same thing when one doctor dies and he morphs into a new person…. I get to love and like the doctor and I don’t want them to change at all…However it does change and therefore it means more upset from me and now from one of my girls.

It got me thinking about that saying “That awkward moment when you find yourself being frustrated with your child…For behaving just like you.”

I am getting annoyed that she gets upset easily…however I have completely forgotten that I do the same thing. It is major to a child if their favourite characters die in a show or a book. It is very upsetting as an adult too.

I made sure that we had cuddles and kisses and talked about it, she felt a bit better after some nice mummy cuddles.

Have you had moments that your little ones have pushed your buttons to then realise that their behaviour is exactly like yours? Let us know what happened.

 

Categories
Nuffnang

Help Little Tummies with Oli6 Dairy Goat Formula

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Oli6

Have you got a baby or toddler that has digestive issues? Reflux, allergies or an intolerance to cow’s milk maybe? Are you finding it difficult if you are not breastfeeding anymore?

I could only breastfeed my third child for the first three months (I also got mastitis and was very ill. It came back about three times and complicated the issue with breastfeeding) and we did supplement with formula.

Learning how common toddler digestive issues are from Melanie McGrice Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Learning how common toddler digestive issues are from Melanie McGrice Accredited Practising Dietitian.

 

We had issues with Alexander who had silent reflux when he was born and it lasted up until three months of age. He is still rather particular about being upright and of course cannot drink too much as he will then bring it straight back up.  He was a very fussy baby and I think he had issues with his belly not handling things in the early days.  You can read more about what happened with our little boy here.

After trying to settle the baby and to help him to relieve the wind and the pain in his belly it would all start again. Yes the 3-4 hours it took to settle him then meant that I had to feed him all over again and therefore this horrible issue would come back. I would dread feeding him the bottle due to what would happen afterwards…yes another 4 plus hours with a screaming baby.

Did you know?

“The vast majority (84%) of children 13-24 months have experienced some form of digestive problem with diarrhoea (33%), constipation (30%) and reflux (27%) being among the most common.”

 

I was wondering what to do. How can I help my little boy feel better and not be in pain? I of course wanted the screaming to stop. Peace and quiet was needed as it would hopefully lead to sleep. Yes the much needed sleep that every new parent needs and wants, but does not get.

I did not know there was goat formula. I also did not know that it could have helped our little baby’s issues. I wish we had tried it earlier.

Oil6 Dairy Goat Formula invited me to learn more about their products for toddlers. I was intrigued and interested due to the difficulties that we had with our son in the early days. I was keen to see if it would help him now as well.

While hearing about the Oli6 Goat Milk I was lucky to be able to drink some lovely coffee and nibble on some yummy snacks. It felt rather calming to be in such relaxing surroundings at The Grounds of the Alexandria and to just sit and be for a bit. Thanks so much for this yummy morning tea it was a great treat.

 

The lovely flowers plus the nibbles on the table at the Oli6 Goat Formula Morning Tea.
The lovely flowers plus the nibbles on the table at the Oli6 Goat Formula Morning Tea.

“Toddlers show their digestive distress by struggling to get to sleep (57%), crying (53%) and just being cranky (36%)

 

So what are the benefits of Oli6 Dairy Goat Formula?

  • High in vitamins and minerals
  • Calcium for teeth and bones (10% more than cows milk)
  • Vitamin A for vision and sight (46% more than cow’s milk)
  • Magnesium for development and growth (33% more than cow’s milk)
  • Vitamin C (37% more than cow’s milk)
  • Naturally occurring prebiotic oligos may assist digestion. Prebiotic oligosaccharides that naturally occur in goat’s milk may aid beneficial bacteria to help stimulate digestive health and help with the growth of the good gut bacteria (these are the ones we want). Studies have shown that goat’s milk contains up to 250-300mg/l which is six times the concentration than found in cow’s milk.
  • Higher amount of lipids to aid brain development and function
  • Higher proportion of medium chain fatty acids for colonic health and other benefits; more than normal cow’s milk.
  • Gentle on tummies – Has easier to digest fatty acids. The size of the fat globules in goat’s milk are smaller to cow’s milk and therefore has been suggested that this makes it easier to digest.
  • Oli6 is made in Victoria, Australia and adheres to strict Australian guidelines.

The girls and I at the morning tea for Oli6 Goat Formula. We are at the Atrium at The Grounds in Alexandria.
The girls and I at the morning tea for Oli6 Goat Formula. We are at the Atrium at The Grounds in Alexandria.

Why should you have a formula high in Oligosaccharides?

  • Protect against germs or illness
  • Promote colonic health
  • Help with the maturation of gut and immune system
  • Promote and help with healthy gut microflora ( Prebiotic)
  • Good for brain development
  • Helps with nutrient absorption

Did you know?

“To date, over 37 oligosaccharides have been identified in goat’s milk. Several of these oligosaccharides are structurally similar to those found in human milk and suggested to have similar beneficial effects.”

I had no idea that goat’s milk might be more similar to breast milk, maybe this is why it is easier to digest for babies? It is more like what mum would be giving the baby.

I only thought that goat’s milk might be a solution if you had an allergy or intolerance, not digestive issues. How wrong was I?

Having experienced a baby with digestive issues and being so unhappy I can see how this would be a good thing to try. Anything for a happy baby and happy parents.

 

Alexander and I at the Oli6 Goat Formula Morning Tea.
Alexander and I at the Oli6 Goat Formula Morning Tea.

Just in case you wish to give the Oli6 Goat Formula a try you can purchase it from the Oli6 website, Pharmacy Warehouse, Cincotta Discount Chemist, Optimal Pharmacy Plus, Pharmacy 4 Less Discount Chemist, Direct Chemist Outlet – Discount Chemist and You Save Chemist.  Oh and if you purchase at any of these pharmacies you get a $10.00 cashback.

Stage 3 – 12 months to 36 months (Toddler Formula) - Oli6 Dairy Goat Formula
Stage 3 – 12 months to 36 months (Toddler Formula) – Oli6 Dairy Goat Formula

“Almost half (46%) of mums changed formula type to try to address their child’s digestive issues and of these, almost half (46%) say it mostly solved the problem and a further 13% saying it somewhat reduced the problem.”

 

Oli6 Dairy Goat Formula covers all age ranges:

  • Stage 1 – Birth to 6 months (Infant Formula)
  • Stage 2 – 6 to 12 months (Follow On Formula)
  • Stage 3 – 12 months to 36 months (Toddler Formula)

Have you given Oli6 Dairy Goat Formula a go? Did it help your little one feel better?  Have you noticed a change your baby/toddler?

 

Categories
Creative

DIY: Hand & Foot Print Canvas

Need a unique gift for a family member? Don’t have heaps of money? Well, this great project will give you a cheap gift and your family member will cherish the present for years to come.

This gift can be for birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Celebrating being a new mum/dad, or even Christmas.  So don’t worry it will be perfect for any occasion.

Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!
Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for a mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!

Gather Your Materials

  • Washable Paint. If you have more than 1 child you will need different colours for each child. I purchased red, blue and white paint. I made purple paint and also pink out of these colours. I ended up having purple, pink and blue for the 3 kids to use.
  • Canvas (You can small sizes, large ones or enormous size canvas. It is up to you and the project you are making) I chose small square ones so that they would easily fit in the post and also on a wall.
  • Newspaper to cover the floor or outside area. This makes sure you don’t get too messy.
  • Towels – You might want to have towels set up on the floor to protect the path to the bathroom so that your very messy kids can not mess things up too much once they get in there to get clean. I do find that if my kids are head to toe covered in paint, the walls and doors get covered in it too. Therefore having a washable paint is ideal as all you have to do is to give the wall and floor a quick wipe and all is good.
  • Paintbrushes – We used paintbrushes to put the paint on hands and feet. You can just put your hands and feet in the paint but using the paintbrush made it a bit easier.

How To Create the Prints

Step 1: Have your paint ready to go. If you need to mix colours have it all organised before the kids get near it.

Step 2: Put the newspaper down and then lay the canvas on top.

Step 3: Make sure kids are in clothes that can get dirty and then paint a foot or a hand and press on the canvas. (You might want to figure out where each hand and foot is going to go on the canvas. You don’t want to figure it out with excited kids who are ready to paint everything and anything. Before we put anything on a canvas I spoke to the girls about where each person’s hand was going to go and we were going to save space for the baby as well.)

Step 4: Since I was making more than one canvas at the same time I did this 3 times for each person. I made one for my Mother in Law, one for my mum and also one for me!

Step 5: Once you have all the hands and prints on the canvas, it now needs to dry. It should dry well overnight and be ready to post the next day. I picked one up for my Mother in Law. It just needed some bubble wrap to protect it and it sat in the box with the other goodies for her birthday.

 

This is a good rainy day activity. I am sure it will keep the kids happy and having fun. Afterward, they can have a bubble bath and you get some peace and quiet after they are relaxed and tired.

Maybe after the bath put on a film for them to watch or read them a story…… I do live in hope that the kids will be super tired after activities.

Oh well, whatever you do enjoy. I hope this gives you some great ideas and a cheap gift idea to create.

 

 

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Categories
Creative Uncategorised

DIY: Hand & Foot Print Canvas

Need a unique gift for a family member? Don’t have heaps of money? Well this great project will give you a cheap gift and your family member will cherish the present for years to come.

This gift can be for birthday’s, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Celebrating being a new mum/dad, or even Christmas.  So don’t worry it will be perfect for any occasion.

Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!
Create your own hand and feet print canvas, great gift idea. Be prepared for mess. It was a bunch of fun though, but the baby got the messiest. Enjoy!

Gather Your Materials

  • Washable Paint. If you have more than 1 child you will need different colours for each child. I purchased red, blue and white paint. I made purple paint and also pink out of these colours. I ended up having purple, pink and blue for the 3 kids to use.
  • Canvas (You can small sizes, large ones or enormous size canvas. It is up to you and the project you are making) I chose small square ones so that they would easily fit in the post and also on a wall.
  • Newspaper to cover the floor or outside area. This makes sure you don’t get too messy.
  • Towels – You might want to have towels set up on the floor to protect the path to the bathroom so that your very messy kids can not mess things up too much once they get in there to get clean. I do find that if my kids are head to toe covered in paint, the walls and doors get covered in it too. Therefore having a washable paint is ideal as all you have to do is to give the wall and floor a quick wipe and all is good.
  • Paint brushes – We used the paint brushes to put the paint on hands and feet. You can just put your hands and feet in the paint but using the paint brush made it a bit easier.

How To Create the Prints

Step 1: Have your paint ready to go. If you need to mix colours have it all organised before the kids get near it.

Step 2: Put the newspaper down and then lay the canvas on top.

Step 3: Make sure kids are in clothes that can get dirty and then paint a foot or a hand and press on the canvas. (You might want to figure out where each hand and foot is going to go on the canvas. You don’t want to figure it out with excited kids who are ready to paint everything and anything. Before we put anything on a canvas I spoke to the girls about where each persons hand was going to go and we were going to save space for the baby as well.)

Step 4: Since I was making more than one canvas at the same time I did this 3 times for each person. I made one for my Mother in Law, one for my mum and also one for me!

Step 5: Once you have all the hands and prints on the canvas, it now needs to dry. It should dry well overnight and be ready to post the next day. I packed one up for my Mother in Law. It just needed some bubble wrap to protect it and it sat in the box with the other goodies for her birthday.

 

This is a good rainy day activity. I am sure it will keep the kids happy and having fun. Afterwards they can have a bubble bath and you get some peace and quiet after they are relaxed and tried. Maybe after the bath put on a film for them to watch or read them a story…… I do live in hope  that the kids will be super tired after activities.

Oh well, whatever you do enjoy. I hope this gives you some great ideas and a cheap gift idea to create.