Tag: Melbourne

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Recipes

The Best Gingerbread Recipe

Do you love to make Gingerbread? Would you like to have one of the yummiest recipes there is for gingerbread? Then read on to download the recipe and to see my versions that I created.

Make the best ever gingerbread with this fab and prized recipe from Deniz Karaca the executive chef at EPICURE
Make the best ever gingerbread with this fab and prized recipe from Deniz Karaca the executive chef at EPICURE

I have been lucky enough to get my hands on Deniz Karaca’s prized gingerbread recipe.

Deniz is the executive pastry chef of EPICURE  in Melbourne. It is a popular restaurant that is known for providing seasonal, fresh, sustainable food using the best local produce available.

EPICURE has also set as benchmark for responsible catering. They have reduced their carbon footprint and prides itself by giving back to the community.

Making the Gingerbread

I had to test out the recipe to see how yummy and easy it was to follow. I must say that it was very easy and simple to do and rather tasty. I normally am not a fan of gingerbread but this mixture was very yummy. I had to test it before I even baked the biscuits.

I collected all my ingredients that I needed for the gingerbread. I like to have them all available on the kitchen bench. This way I don't forget anything essential.
I collected all my ingredients that I needed for the gingerbread. I like to have them all available on the kitchen bench. This way I don’t forget anything essential.

Step 1: Before I started I made sure that the oven was heating up. I put it on at 180°C.

Step 2: Get the baking trays ready for the finished gingerbread. The recipe says to use melted butter to grease baking trays. I did not do this, I used baking paper on the baking trays to ensure that the gingerbread did not stick to the tray. You can do either method. It does not matter.

Butter, Sugar, egg yolk and Treacle Syrup all ready to be a creamy mixture for the gingerbread.
Butter, Sugar, egg yolk and Treacle Syrup all ready to be a creamy mixture for the gingerbread.

Step 3: I put the butter and sugar and made it look pale and creamy.

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Step 4: Now add the treacle syrup, egg yolk, until all combined. Once done add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice (In the recipe it lists all the ingredients in the mixed spice mix. I initially thought that I had to get all of these to make my own. However I realised that if you just get a pack of Mixed Spice. I know this might be obvious to some but as I have never made gingerbread before I did not know). Mix into a dough and kneed until smooth. Wrap up in glad wrap and put in the fridge to rest for 30 mins.

Mixing in the flour and other ingredients.
Mixing in the flour and other ingredients.

Note: I ended up leaving my mixture in the fridge overnight due to being busy with kids and things. Before I used it I put it on the kitchen bench for a few hours to get to room temperature, this made it soft enough to roll out to make my gingerbread people. The mixture was fine and the biscuits taste amazing the only thing you need to be aware of is if you leave it in the fridge longer it will be a bit harder and need time to soften up.

The gingerbread dough wrapped in glad wrap and ready to go into the fridge to rest. Rest in fridge for 30 mins.
The gingerbread dough wrapped in glad wrap and ready to go into the fridge to rest. Rest in fridge for 30 mins.

Step 5: The recipe recommends putting baking paper underneath the dough and on top to ensure it does not stick to your rolling pin. I did this and it made it much easier to get the dough flat and made it not stick at all which helped the whole process.

Rolling the gingerbread dough. It was a good idea to use baking paper to make it a non sticky issue with the rolling pin and counter top.
Rolling the gingerbread dough. It was a good idea to use baking paper to make it a non sticky issue with the rolling pin and counter top.

Step 6: Cut out your gingerbread with your cookie cutter of choice. I used a traditional shaped gingerbread man one but you can use whatever shape you wish to. It depends on the event and theme. You might want Christmas ones, or birthday party ones or just standard gingerbread men. It is up to you.

I used a gingerbread shaped cookie cutter to make my gingerbread people. If you want you can always have different shapes, stars, trucks, people, cats and more.
I used a gingerbread shaped cookie cutter to make my gingerbread people. If you want you can always have different shapes, stars, trucks, people, cats and more.

Step 7: Bake your gingerbread biscuits. It takes about 10 minutes in the oven. Make sure you place the gingerbread biscuits about 3 cm apart from each other. The dough spreads a bit and you don’t want to find that one gingerbread person is attached to another.

Gingerbread all cooked and cooling down. Once cool they will be decorated.
Gingerbread all cooked and cooling down. Once cool they will be decorated.

Step 8: Decorate your gingerbread. This is the fun part. You can go crazy with sprinkles, icing and lollies. Once done you can now eat them up.

My decorated gingerbread people. Two are girls and one is a boy. I know it is hard to tell and my decorating skills need a bit of work. Don't they look pretty! Or festive to say the least.
My decorated gingerbread people. Two are girls and one is a boy. I know it is hard to tell and my decorating skills need a bit of work. Don’t they look pretty! Or festive to say the least.

Some of the items I used to decorate these fabulous gingerbread girls and boy were: candy eyes, hundreds and thousands, different coloured sprinkles, M&M’s, and Queen Writing Icings (I got a pack of 5 that have all different colours)

Enjoy your gingerbread and I hope you found this recipe as yummy as I did.

A HUGE THANK YOU!

Thanks to Deniz Karaca from EPICURE  for sharing his gingerbread recipe with my readers.

Originally published November 27 2016

Categories
Family

1 in 4 Not Isolating…WHY????

I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.
I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.

I like many of you are sad and upset to learn that 1 in 4 who have tested positive to COVID-19 are not self-isolating.

This group of people is walking free among us, going about their business all in the full knowledge that they have the virus, they are intentionally spreading this to others and making it harder to get control of this illness.

I learned this while listening to the news on the ABC while I drove to pick up my son from childcare, well it was officially last Friday 31st of July when I heard the news. The newsreader announced that the armed forces had gone door to door to ensure that this group was at home and doing the right thing, only to discover that they were not at home! And some of this group was not home from the last checks!

My family and others have been in lockdown from March to about mid-May, we stayed at home, kept to ourselves and if we did go out we only ventured to the local oval to let the kids play a bit and then walk home. Our outings consisted of getting food and supplies from the shops and the odd visit to the doctors for the kids.  When we went shopping only 1 person went to the shops, we didn’t make it a group outing.

I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.
I am now wearing a face mask to be extra safe. You never know right? Plus many places are wanting you to wear one so you can enter their business.

We’ve kept well and would like to keep it that way. We have explored a little bit now that restrictions have relaxed a little bit due to the spike in Victoria and some new cases in Sydney, these restrictions might come back with force.

Many have lost their jobs, are working from home, and are in real financial difficulty due to the impact of COVID, why would people want to prolong this horrible pandemic even longer than is necessary.

I do get the fact that you might need something from the shops, but many are doing home delivery now, and if you say you are at home isolating they can leave it on the front step and you can get the package or delivery at your leisure.

If it is work, the government said that they will pay you $1500 for a fortnight to be off work if you have to self isolate. It is not fun to be facing not being able to work but the community doesn’t stop the spread of this deadly infection then we will be in this terrible state as a country and worldwide for many years to come.

I don’t know about you, but I cannot face years of this situation! I want it to be over like yesterday, but in reality, if we can all just self-isolate and stop the disease spreading we will have a chance to get on top of the situation.

Yesterday the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced strict stage 4 restrictions and even declared a statewide disaster due to the second wave of COVID -19 cases.

All people in Victoria are now on a curfew with many other rules about what they can and cannot do.

Homeschooling starts again for all in Victoria on Wednesday this week and many will also be impacted by businesses and workplaces closing due to not being deemed essential.

I found it tough doing homeschooling and work, I feel for all those in Victoria as I know things will be tough and hard during the lockdown.

In Sydney, we have had more cases, and some areas have been dubbed clusters.  I just hope that we can get a handle on it and be in a better situation for next year at the earliest.

Woolworths has made an announcement that all customers for all their stores and other businesses should wear masks. I now like others are donning a mask for my everyday tasks, however, my mask seems to slip off my ears… and for some reason, I only have this issue. Maybe I have weirdly shaped ears???? Where would I go to get a mask that fits and sits well with my odd ears?

I am very disappointed. I did hope that by August we would be in a better situation with this virus.  I am sure I am not the only one that is ticked off that a few is making it harder for the many.

I am annoyed and frustrated that this year has been so broken, upsetting, and just miserable for many.

My kids have lost out on many events, not only due to COVID but also due to the bushfires that were happening over summer earlier in the year.

We all need to do the right thing to get us all back on track. If we cannot do the right thing we will have months and months of lockdown and even worse restrictions than what Victoria is facing.

It is really simple… if you are sick stay at home.

If you have a positive COVID test stay at home.

Please don’t give this terrible illness to people who are doing the right thing and also older/immune comprised.

Don’t try and go to work, don’t visit other areas, don’t go shopping or visit friends and family…..JUST STAY HOME!

I get it, it is super tough.

We are struggling too, both hubby and I are working many jobs and doing whatever we can to survive.

The stress is intense and constant and one that I wish would take a break.

I really don’t understand why anyone would leave their house if they were COVID positive…. maybe these people don’t believe it is real. Maybe they are conspiracy theorists? I really don’t know but the one thing is for sure, the only thing that can stop spreading this deadly infection is if we stay at home, wear face masks, wash your hands, take hand sanitizer with you, and again if you are ill or feel sick stay home!

Are you finding it crazy that people are not self-isolating?

I do hope that everyone can do the right thing and in the next 6-8 weeks, the situation has greatly improved.

Let me know if you are annoyed with this behaviour too.

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Categories
Wednesday Wisdom

Drooling and Wishing

I have been daydreaming about being on holiday.  Yesterday it was made worse with a Getaway special about a cruise that you can do in France. It looked divine, amazing and just so relaxing.

Although I loved what the Getaway Special were selling me, I was getting rather depressed about the whole thing. I cannot go to France. I have three kids. I don’t have the money and also hubby does not have the time off work! So the longer I watched this show the more annoyed I got. Therefore I turned it off to busy myself with other things, like cleaning the house for my mum to visit (cleaning the bathroom ended up giving my left leg a HUGE bruise and it really hurts!)

I know….the idea of holidaying in France compared to housework and I had to do housework. Oh well, maybe I will be the chick in the commercial one day soon. You will see me swanning around a chic French eatery and looking calm and sooo relaxed. Just you wait!

A Paris Cafe. I can see myself having a bite to eat or just having a relaxing drink and watch the world go by.
A Paris Cafe. I can see myself having a bite to eat or just having a relaxing drink and watch the world go by.

I see specials for holidays everywhere; Television advertisements, discount deals to fly around the world that are emailed to me, flyers in the local newspaper for great holiday deals and also when I’m at the shops. I cannot seem to escape the idea of drooling over a holiday. I have been thinking that it is the universe telling me I need to have a break, just chill and have a holiday. I wish the universe could pay for it though.

A European vacation where I’m touring Spain, Italy or France is a great thought. However a Queensland or Fiji adventure would be lovely also. Even a quick getaway up or down the New South Wales Coast or a trip to Melbourne. I’m not fussy.

Another idea is maybe exploring Tuscany.. doesn't this look amazing!
Another idea is maybe exploring Tuscany.. doesn’t this look amazing!

Actually anywhere at the moment that means that I am looked after, I don’t have to cook or clean is brilliant in my book…oh and if they have a kids club and babysitting is available would be advantageous as well.

Maybe it is the fact that I have had my third child that I am constantly daydreaming about being on holiday and having a break? Or is it due to the fact that kids are now again on school holidays and I wish we were all somewhere with a beach and I had a nice cocktail in my hand.

Yes I would rather be in a warm climate, in my swimmers on the beach and just relaxing. Pity this cannot be at the moment.

Hubby did ask me what I wanted for Christmas and I told him a relaxing holiday on the beach somewhere. I’m not fussy. Just somewhere other than home. A break is needed. However this was met with I don’t think we can do that. I did say, “You did ask me what I wanted”

I have also fantasied about being at a health retreat all on my own…. Yes a whole holiday just for me! How amazing would that be! My health retreat holiday would consist of the following:

  • Great healthy food provided
  • Wonderful drinks provided
  • Yoga
  • Swimming
  • Massages
  • Facial/Manicure/Pedicures and any other wonderful beauty treatment
  • I can sleep in on some days
  • Watch my own television
  • Do my own thing, not worry about others, and have some time for me!

I have never been to a health retreat so if you have let me know what you got up to. I am only daydreaming about what I could do while there.

This would be me at the health retreat. Yes not actually me but you get the idea. Me relaxing and having a much needed massage!
This would be me at the health retreat. Yes not actually me but you get the idea. Me relaxing and having a much needed massage!

My down time actually is finally having a hot cup of coffee and a snack and drinking the coffee when it is still hot. Many parents will know the perils of making a hot drink and then drinking it when it is cold or having to chuck it out and start all over again.

Finally getting a hot cup of coffee. Also managed to get some work done too!
Finally getting a hot cup of coffee. Also managed to get some work done too!

Maybe there is a takeaway here:

A weekend away here and there will be just as good. Now to just book them in and get organised. As said it does not matter where I go, just as long as it is a break. Time out for everyone is a good thing. It helps recharge your batteries and makes you have a happier outlook.

Are you bombarded by things that you cannot have right now? Is it the dream holiday? Is it something else that keeps on popping up in your email or in the mail? Let us know.

 

Categories
Family

Travel Tips – Our Ballarat Winter Holiday

We all went to Ballarat for the winter holidays in 2015. Read below to find out what we got up to.

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Okay it was our winter holiday.

I was drooling over sunshine, beaches, swimming and just balmy days.

Just so you know, the Blue Mountains is freezing during winter, so a nice warm change was needed and deserved.

So where did we go for our ten day winter holiday?

We flew to Melbourne to holiday in Ballarat. Yes the weather as you can imagine was very much the same, COLD! Although I was not keen due to the cold … we had a fabulous time. Yes a wonderful time was had by all.

There was plenty to do and we kept ourselves very busy indeed.  I must say due to picking a colder location there were not a lot of people where we were. This surprised us due to it being school holidays, but maybe it might have been different if we chose Fiji as a destination instead. So think about this for your next holiday. Go were others are not, and you will avoid the crowds and still have a brilliant time.

So our first hurdle was to get to the airport with everyone intact, no tantrums and everyone relatively happy. We managed this and then made our way to check in our luggage and get our boarding passes.

 

My tips to keep kids happy on a plane:

1.       Have electronic devices fully charged and ready to go. I make sure to charge the iPad and iPhone the night before so that they have full battery power. This way the kids can make use of the inflight entertainment.

2.       If they get bored with the electronic entertainment I make sure to have pens/pencils in a bag with a colouring or activity book. Even a blank book to allow creative drawing is ideal. This way your little artists can go mad and draw their masterpieces.

3.       Have some snacks just in case they don’t like what is on offer on the plane. I have two very fussy kids so making sure they have some snacks that meet their approval is ideal and also creates less arguments and annoyance. (Mainly for the parent – really this is for you to make sure you have a calm and stress free flight)

4.       Since I have twins (even if you have more than one child) one parent sits with one child one way and then we swap on the way home. This way each child gets a chance to sit next to mummy/daddy.

5.       When we book in and get our seats we try to get a window seat so that each child can have the view if there is any out the window.

6.       One big tip is we make sure the kids go to the toilet before we all board the plane. I know they might not really need to go but I make them anyway. If the worst does happen, there is a toilet on board but you don’t want an emergency dash to the loo to happen when you have to remain in your seats for take-off!

We arrived at Melbourne airport, got our hire car and then we were all on our way to Ballarat.

daddyjulia

What did we do while we were in Ballarat?

As you can see we kept very busy and saw a lot of the sites.

 

Our hotel did not have a restaurant and therefore we ate out for dinner every night.

Two of the restaurants were amazing and such a standout, we were super impressed with the service, food and atmosphere.

So what are these fabulous places to eat?

1.    The Forge Pizzeria @ Armstrong Street, Ballarat

Due to the fact our kids are fuss pots with eating we thought that a good pizza would be the way to go. The kids I am sorry to say are not that adventurous, so they stuck to the cheese pizza.

The Forge had a great cheese pizza for the kids and was kind enough to take off anything green like parsley or fresh herbs. Yes if there is anything green on it, it gets met with a confused look and the kids just freak out. The team at this pizzeria understand kids and made sure that the pizza was all cheese!

For the adults they have an excellent choice of pizzas with all sorts of wonderful ingredients. Anything from pumpkin, pulled pork, garlic prawns to sauerkraut.

While we waited for our pizzas to be cooked the kids occupied themselves with colouring in and drawing at a big table at the end of the restaurant. This was great as the kids were happy being there and due to it being at the end of the restaurant it was safe and you could keep an eye on the kids.

The environment is rustic and very warm. The tables are recycled and some are very long that it allows big groups and families to all share dinner or lunch together.

Once we received our pizzas we were amazed at how wonderful they tasted. The dough was so light and just melted in your mouth. Devine! Simply amazing.  I was not planning on eating the whole pizza but ended up finishing it due to how tasty it was. I could not help myself.

We were so taken with the place that we had to come back. A few days or so after our first meal at The Forge, we came back for our second meal. The waitress that helped us when we were first there was working that night and remembered us. She even remembered what drink I was drinking and organised it all for me. She was very helpful and how amazing to be remembered.

If you are ever in Ballarat you must try The Forge Pizzeria. You will be in love with it as much as we were. It is family friendly, tasty meals, kids had a blast and so did we.

The Forge Pizzeria has even been named one of the Top 10 Pizza Restaurants in Australia by MTV.com.au

2.    Fu Man Lou Dumplings – @ Camp Street, Ballarat

I was craving dumplings and due to having fussy eaters we did not entertain going to a dumpling restaurant for dinner. However we stumbled across Fu Man Lou and saw that they had Chicken Sang Choi Bao, Fried Rice, Prawn Chips and more. The kids would love this and they can try the dumplings.

We love dumplings well hubby and I do and have been craving some while in Ballarat. This place looks amazing and so groovy. Cannot wait to try some!
We love dumplings well hubby and I do and have been craving some while in Ballarat. This place looks amazing and so groovy. Cannot wait to try some!

The first thing you will notice about Fu Man Lou is that the place has a sense of humour. Even their menu is fun. Instead of saying entrée, they call it the small stuff, the mains are referred to as the bigger ones.  If you wish to have just water or soft drink that is in the no booze category. Plastered all over the walls is Fu Man Lou propaganda poking fun of the Maoist Regime.

If you are like me and crave dumplings every now and then, you can have a dumpling taster or just order a few dumplings and then see how you go.

It was great for kids as they made sure that the kids got their food first. The girls loved the Chicken Sang Choi Bao and did surprise us when they tried some dumplings.

Fu Man Lou is fab for families and has a fun atmosphere. My favourite dumpling was the Wontons in Chilli Oil, it is so yummy!

If you are ever in Ballarat and need to get a dumpling fix, Fu Man Lou is your place.

 

We all had a great time in Ballarat and surrounds. Initially I wanted to be somewhere warm and sunny. However we had a great family holiday and we did not have to fight any crowds.

Maybe we need to look at where others might not go next winter? Nope I still want to go to the beach!

Did you plan to go somewhere and then it did not work out.

Was it the beach and you ended up somewhere cold or was it the reverse?

Let us know. Did you end up having a great time anyway?

 

Categories
Family

Our Victorian Adventures

Learn about all the fun places we went in the Winter 2015 School Holidays.

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We have been keeping very busy and have been out most days exploring.  Below is a list of the places we have visited and you can learn what we did there and see some of the photos from our visits.

Ballarat Wildlife Park

We all had a great time at the Wildlife park. Kangaroos, emus and the like are free to roam. They seemed quite tame but I did remind the kids that they still have big claws and are still wild animals.

The kangaroos let the kids pat them, feed them and be very close. They seemed very used to human contact and were very good around children.

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Show times below are for weekdays and if you wish to find out weekend show times, just click here

1:30pm     Reptile round.
2:00pm     Koala round.
2:30pm     Wombat round.
3:00pm     Crocodile OR Alligator round.
3:30pm     Tasmanian Devil and Quoll round.
4:00pm     Eagle Show

As you can see shows are every half hour. So this will keep you busy and make sure that you are not waiting around for hours to see one show.

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Sovereign Hill

There is plenty to do at Sovereign Hill and you will not be bored. If anything your feet and legs will be very tired from walking around all day.

You can try your hand at decorating candles, watch gold being poured, see lollies being made, try your hand at gold panning in the creek and have a ride on the stage coach.

Just one thing to remember: If you purchase a family pass make sure to get it validated. If you do this you can come back for a second day. We did this and it helped as our first day we arrived at about 1pm so that we had plenty of time to see the sights and then stay for the lights that evening.  We promised the kids a coach ride with the horses but missed out the first day. We managed to do the promised horse coach ride on day 2 and all was happy then.

I also did not know that with the price of the family ticket to Sovereign Hill we also got an automatic ticket to the Gold Museum for everyone.

Holiday Program open till 30th of July 2017 so you have a few days to get there if you can.

 

One of the girls is chasing the lollies that are falling down the building

 See a train go across a building.

A view of main street with the snow and the lights.
A view of main street with the snow and the lights.

Ballarat Gold Museum

After our first day at Sovereign Hill we went to the Gold Museum. The museum is in the same complex as Sovereign Hill so if you are there for one you may as well see both.

The museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm every day except Christmas Day. Last entry is 5.20 pm.

One exhibition that I was amazed by was the photographs of the whole of Ballarat. I have forgotten the photographer but he climbed up to the top of the town hall and took a 360 degree view of Ballarat at the time. The images were amazing and so sharp so that you can see every detail.

Image from the Gold Museum website.
Image from the Gold Museum website.

 

Daylesford Markets and The Amazing Mill Markets

On Sunday we went off to the Daylesford Markets.  It was a lovely sunny day and a welcome relief from the overcast days we have had. The drive was not too long from our hotel and was a pleasant drive through lovely countryside.

Once we arrived to the markets we walked around and looked at all the stalls. It was your typical markets, trinkets, clothes, and the like.

The kids got their faces painted while at the markets and then we went off to lunch at a local pub.

After lunch we visited The Amazing Mill Markets. These markets is a huge warehouse complex that houses many stalls of antiques and collectibles.

The kids new clothes
The kids new clothes

If I had heaps of money and did not have to post all my purchases back I could have gone crazy. I did purchase a jumper and a scarf for one kid and the other got a coat and a scarf also. I must say that the kids look rather stylish in their new clothes.

The Melbourne Museum

We wanted to come into Melbourne to see the Museum and catching up with friends that have decided to move to Melbourne was a great excuse to spend the day there and to see some great exhibits.

Dinosaur Bones at The Melbourne Muesum
Dinosaur Bones at The Melbourne Muesum

It was a HUGE day as we had a bit of a drive from Ballarat to Carlton and also to back to the hotel.

So what did we see there?

Well we learnt about the human body, saw the real Phar Lap, dinosaur bones, and of course a giant squid. There was so much more. The museum was enormous and it was so well done and we were super impressed.

Phar Lap at The Melbourne Museum. I did not realise that he was so tall!
Phar Lap at The Melbourne Museum. I did not realise that he was so tall!

The building was just amazing and the facilities were impressive compared to what we are used to. Some of the museum’s in Sydney are in older buildings and are limited for space. The museum in Melbourne seemed purpose built and has the space they need for all exhibits.

If you book online for tickets you get a great deal. You don’t pay for kids that are under 12.

Also for parking if you book online you pay $20 for a full day of parking. What great value is that.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas on where to take the kids on the holidays and the weekends.

We are flying home tomorrow and the kids cannot wait to see their teddies again. We have all had a fabulous time and wish our holiday could last forever but we have to go home to our life and jobs.

What have you done these school holidays? Have you had a great experience somewhere that you would love to share? Let us know.

Categories
Family

Our Ballarat Holiday so Far

Monday we started our Ballarat/Melbourne trip. We flew to Melbourne and then hired a car to allow us to drive to Ballarat and then explore the surrounds.

We were surprised that the airport at Sydney was not jammed packed with school holiday travellers. Maybe many were going to a warmer climate compared to visiting a cold Ballarat in Winter. Today was freezing and the wind did not help!

Our trip started of with us planning to be on a beach, somewhere warm and not cold like home is. However this was not to be. I looked at many options as we had already paid for the accommodation component and had certain areas within Australia, New Zealand and Fiji that we could visit. As mentioned all dates for our trip were full in any warm area. Some places were great for us but the kids would be bored out of their brains.

I decided on Ballarat due to the proximity to Melbourne, and the fact that there is a lot to do for families in Ballarat and surrounds.

Pop Up Ice Skating Rink

Our first full day in Ballarat was Tuesday. I had organised tickets to the Pop Up Ice Skating Rink in the main part of Ballarat town centre. The kids were so excited to go skating but that did not last long. I joined them but was concerned about falling over. Julia had a bit of a fall but was all good, however she was upset and in need of cuddles. Both kids then decided that they did not want to skate anymore and would like to try the tobogganing. This was a huge hit and we all had a go.

The Tangled Maze

After our time at Winterlude we decided to go to the Tangled Maze. We all had lunch before we tackled the maze and that was a good move. There were many things to find to answer the questions in the maze and we were there for a while.

The kids racing around The Tangled Maze.
The kids racing around The Tangled Maze.

One side of the maze. It was all created out of hedges and flowers. It would have taken ages, it also looked very pretty.
One side of the maze. It was all created out of hedges and flowers. It would have taken ages, it also looked very pretty.

The maze really tired out the twins. They had fun, found the answers to the questions that we were given and managed to get out of the maze without having to be saved.

The kids having a fab time running around the Tangled Maze
The kids having a fab time running around the Tangled Maze

Kyral Castle

I had no idea that there was a castle in Ballarat! But there is. Kyral Castle has a draw bridge, a moat and of course a dragon.

The kids and I outside Kyral Castle
The kids and I outside Kyral Castle

“In 1972, Keith Ryall began building the castle, which formally opened 2 years later primarily as a tourist attraction but also as an educational, conference and function facility with ‘royal’ accommodation and a wedding chapel.”

The fire performer at Kryal Castle.
The fire performer at Kryal Castle.

There were so many things to do for kids at Kryal Castle.

Here are some of the events from the Kryal website:

The daily program consists of:

10:15 – Roving performers

11:30 – Mounted Skill at Arms

12:00 – The Storyteller – Grab a seat and join The Kryal Storyteller by the fire in the rotunda.

12:30 – Roving performers

1:30 – The Joust of the Flame –   In the land of Kryal there is an ancient tradition. In the darkest depths of winter, when the snows fall, the moat turns to ice and people hide away indoors against the fearsome winds from the west, they are visited by a dark and powerful force.

We did do the maze at Kryal Castle but the kids needed to be rescued. They were fine and all worked out well. So if you do the maze with the kids make sure they stay with you.

The dragon at Kryal Castle
The dragon at Kryal Castle

If you are ever in Ballarat make sure you visit Kryal Castle. You will have a great family day out.

Stay tuned for more of our holiday adventures.

Hope you are all having a great time these school holidays. What have you been up to so far? Let us know.

Categories
6 years and beyond

Melbourne Cup 2014

How quickly has this year gone! Yes it is November and today is Melbourne Cup day… and in a blink of an eye it will be Christmas. The year is nearly ended and that makes me think, what do I get everyone for Christmas? But that is another post entirely.

Analysing the horses, their form, jockeys and trainers. Also looked at the odds for each horses. Who shall I pick? Will I pick a winner? Who knows
Analyzing the horses, their form, jockeys and trainers. Also looked at the odds for each horses. Who shall I pick? Will I pick a winner? Who knows

I do love to have a bet on Cup Day, not that I bet much as I hate to lose my hard earnt dollars, but it does make it a bit more interesting and exciting. Betting on a horse or a few makes you involved in way that makes it more fun. You yell at the screen, have a cheeky remark to a mate at work that their horse won’t win and yours will. It is a bit of fun for a day.

A little bet also allows you to daydream with the possibility of winning big. Will this be the year that my horse wins? Will this be the year that I win hundreds of dollars? I am not sure but it would be nice.

I went with a different tactic this year. I looked at how good the horses were regardless of odds. I went with horses that I thought would do well and backed some hopefuls that have long odds, if this horse wins I will be a very happy lady indeed. Last year I went with all the favourties and did not get a win. I wonder if my technique this year will generate a win.

I have taken my time and picked some horses for a win and a place. I am covering all my bases this year. Betting on Melbourne Cup is fun.
I have taken my time and picked some horses for a win and a place. I am covering all my bases this year. Betting on Melbourne Cup is fun.

If you hear a VERY LOUD SCREAM after the race, This will mean I have won. Yes my scream would be most powerful as it would travel for km’s and across mountains and towns, to alert you of my good fortune.

Now I have my horses I can seriously yell at the TV now to tell the horses to win. How I wish they would listen when I say this. They did not listen last year. However, I do believe my new way of choosing the winner to the Cup will turn my luck around.

Are these the winning tickets? I have a mystery bet on. It would be great if that won. How amazing would that be!
Are these the winning tickets? I have a mystery bet on. It would be great if that won. How amazing would that be!

 

My fingers and toes are crossed I am holding a winning ticket…. What about you? Have you put your bet on? Do you have a flutter on Melbourne Cup? Are you in the company sweeps? Do the kids help pick the winning horse? Do you pick the horse based on the colours of the silks the jockeys wear? Let us know how you pick the winner in your household.

Good Luck everyone! Hope you have a wonderful day and if you can get dressed up in a frock and hat, Relax. Enjoy!

UPDATE: I managed to pick first, second and third so my technique this year has worked. Not sure that I have won a great deal but pleased that I might be getting a little something back (My winnings were: $40.20, so all in all it did not cost a great deal to bet on the cup this year). Wish I go the big win though and one day that will happen. I live in hope.

Categories
5 years and beyond

National Holiday for Melbourne Cup Day

Melbourne Cup is tomorrow, and it is the race that stops a nation. So as the term “Stops” indicates nothing much happens on cup day. When I was in the corporate world it was an excuse to go for a long lunch, and that really meant, we had lunch and never made it back to the office.

Not the actual horses racing in the cup, but they look like they might. Image courtesy of Tina Phillips at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Not the actual horses racing in the cup, but they look like they might. Image courtesy of Tina Phillips at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Melbourne is the only state in Australia that has a public holiday for tomorrow, the rest of the country has to turn up for work. That said, no work really happens tomorrow as there is a lunch at the office and everyone is busy with the office sweep, catching up on gossip and yelling at the TV.

I for one have never understood why the country does not embrace the holiday that only Melbournians get? Why don’t we just create the holiday and make it official. Most people throw a sickie that day, or don’t really work so why not have the day off for all? It would make it easier all round. I would love to not race to pick kids up from school to then come home in record time to manage to catch the race on TV.

Mothers would love to participate in the race as well and not have to miss out due to the school run! I don’t want to live through the radio and would love to see the colours of the jockey’s silks and see if the horse managed to beat the other by a nose.

I love the lead up to cup day, the fashion, the stakes and the idea that I might win big. It could happen, and maybe 2013 is my year.

Do you think the day should be a national holiday? Why should only people in Melbourne get the luxury of the day off from work to party on for the race. Unfair I say.

According to Wikipedia,”Melbourne Cup day is a public holiday for all working within metropolitan Melbourne and some parts of regional Victoria, but not for some country Victorian cities and towns which hold their own spring carnivals. For Federal Public Servants it is also observed as a holiday in the entire state of Victoria, and from 2007 to 2009 also in the Australian Capital Territory known as Family and Community Day replacing Picnic Day”

Maybe I should start a petition on change.org to make it so? Would you sign it if I did it?  I have created one to see what would happen. Do you think nothing much happens on the day other than the race! It does stop the nation and why not have a holiday for all, not just in Melbourne.

Send in your comments.

Categories
4 years and beyond

Daddies Sleep Over

Not daddies hotel, but you get the idea that he is somewhere nice. Image courtesy of MR LIGHTMAN at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Not daddies hotel, but you get the idea that he is somewhere nice. Image courtesy of MR LIGHTMAN at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Daddy is in Melbourne for work. He is there all week. The girls are telling people that daddy is having a sleep over. When asked where, they respond, “In Melbourne”. This was mentioned at the Chemist on Monday when I had to get one of my kids some medicine due to being unwell. I then told the lady at the chemist that he is there for work. She laughed and said it was a cute way to explain why he was not there.

Well to a four year old, daddy is having a sleep over in Melbourne. Due to daddy flying to Melbourne the twins are getting more and more excited about their sleep over at the Gold Coast that will be happening in September. Mummy is getting excited too, so it is not just a kid thing.

We have been talking to daddy via the iPad and the computers so that the girls can see and speak to him. The girls saw the fire flashing at the Melbourne Crown Plaza as daddy is staying close to it. They were disappointed it did not explode, and kept on waiting and asking daddy, “When will it explode???”

Have you or your partner/husband had a sleep over somewhere else for work or for something else? How did your child explain why they were not home?

Categories
3 years and beyond

Melbourne Bound

Got up at 6am, had breakfast, watched part of my show, had a shower, actually put on makeup, packed the final things for my bag. As soon as I was about to sit down to have a coffee (and actually watch the rest of my show – now we are watching Sesame Street) Lillian woke up, then Julia. Oh well at least I have all the other things organised. How good does it feel to be ready and not running around!

Now the reason for my early rise and bag packing is I am off to Melbourne for the night, I know very glam and fun! I cannot wait. We were lucky to get part of the flight on frequent flyer points and the rest was a cheap ticket, thank god for airlines lowering costs. It has worked well for us.

My day off and night is going to be wonderful. I just love going to the airport and it will be even better as I will be able to go off and do my own thing, the many things I am looking forward to today are: reading my notes for university (I know boring but an essential thing to do as quiz is next Monday), looking at shops without kids touching everything, have a drink or some food without having to rush or get something other little people might like but never eat.

Dinner tonight is the one event that I am really looking forward to but also being on a plane is a highlight for me, sounds silly but I find it exciting. Do you love flying? Have you managed to get away for even a day or a weekend?

One thing that is a bit sad is that it is only for a short time, but even though a short trip it is a nice, much needed break. Thank god for my lovely mother who is going to mind the twins while I am away, without her I would not be able to do this, just good timing all round.

Are you planning a short trip without the kids? How excited are you about it? I am super excited, I know it is funny but I find I cannot wipe the grin off my face. It might not be a grin on my face when I say goodbye to the kids at the station but will try and be strong, it is only a night away. I will see them tomorrow. Send in your comments.