Kid Magazine Issue Twenty One

April/may 2015 - issue twenty one

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Editor’s letter

hi!

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Cover image: Photography by Elise Garner lecoco.com.au Check out the rest of the shoot on page 6

he last two months we have been making an effort to spend more time together as a family. It is so easy to get caught up in what hubby and I both have to do in between work, Olivia and all the stuff that life throws at us. But family time is so important. Time away from screens and emails and phone calls and stresses.

Other than the obvious of eating meals together and our regular trips to the park with Olivia we have also taken up gardening. I have a notorious black thumb so I’m hoping to turn that around as we attempt to maintain a small veggie and herb patch. The idea of growing our own produce is so appealing to me so I hope we can make a success of it.

We were also lucky enough to spend a weekend in gorgeous Shoalhaven, which you can read about in this issue. Despite being on the go the whole time, experiencing what the region has to offer it was so nice to go somewhere we haven’t been before and exploring together as a family.

This issue is packed with lots of other great features, products and giveaways. The kids can get busy in the kitchen with two tasty recipes we shot with Elise Garner at the home of Genie and Shane Pepper of Plum Baby & Kids. Our technology expert, Jessica Bee, talks mindfulness for kids and Elise Easdown from What’s On 4 has the ultimate school holiday guide with activities across every state.

Until next issue, you can find us at www.kidmagazine.com.au for more of the things you love.

Sara

Editor and Chief Kid sara@kidmagazine.com.au kidmagazine.com.au kidmagazine.com.au 3

Anna LS applique tee, $18.95, www.cottononkids.com.au;; Black and white polka dot headband, $12.95, oobi.com.au; Apron, $26.95, janeharbison.com Life through the lens of our Editor and Chief Kid, Sara. Join us at instagram.com/kidmagazineau

Keep up to date with our Facebook posts, full of fashion tips, latest articles, competitions and interviews. Follow us at facebook.com/kidmagazine

INSIDE

46

07 36

dealing with toy clutter in your home

Kids in the kitchen

26

50

wholefood easter recipes

38 5 minutes with angela henderson

School Holiday guide

30

52

destination shoalhaven

42 choosing the right birth for you

life’s a party

34

mindfulness: can your kids teach you?

44 Fitness, fashion and mum life

PLUS...

Kid Magazine Loves 32 New Kids on the Block 48

behind the blog with mrs d plus three

Book reviews 54 Hop Hop to the Easter Bunny 56 Hi-5 House of Dreams 57 DVD reviews 58

kidmagazine.com.au 4

Giveaways 60

shop where the cool kids shop

With the plethora of online businesses popping up all over the web, knowing where to shop can be the hardest decision you need to make. We’ve done the leg work for you and tracked down some of the hippest places to shop for you and the kids. Whether you are after funky party supplies, new maternity clothes, a fabulous photographer or toys for the kids, you will find it all plus more in the new Kid Magazine DIrectory.

Want to find out how you can join the directory? Email sara@kidmagazine.com.au for the details on our affordable packages.

www.kidmagazine.com.au/directory

Kids in the kitch

Photography by Elise Garner lecoco.co

kidmagazine.com.au 6

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Cotton knit sweater dress, $44.95 and Tulle tutu, $34.95, www.plumcollections.com.au; Boxset role play kitchen, $59.95, www.tigertribe.com.au kidmagazine.com.au 7

Kiddie quiche pies

Anna LS applique tee, $18.95 and Hannah harem pant, $19.95, www.cottononkids.com.au; Green butterfly apron, $25, metooplease.com.au; Mandarin medium bow, $24, pixiespix.com.au

Anna LS applique tee, $18.95, www.cottononkids.com.au; Black dot jeans, $54.95, oobi.com.au; Black and white polka dot headband, $12.95, oobi.com.au; Apron, $26.95, janeharbison.com

Multistripe v-neck t-shirt, $25, www.justjack.com.au; French terry indigo denim pant, from $54.95, www.eenimeeni.com

Easy banana muffins

Anna LS applique tee, $18.95, www.cottononkids.com.au; Black dot jeans, $54.95, oobi.com.au; Black and white polka dot headband, $12.95, oobi.com.au; Apron, $26.95, janeharbison.com Anna LS applique tee, $18.95 and Hannah harem pant, $19.95, www.cottononkids.com.au; Green butterfly apron, $25, metooplease.com.au; Mandarin medium bow, $24, pixiespix.com.au Multistripe v-neck t-shirt, $25, www.justjack.com.au; French terry indigo denim pant, from $54.95, www.eenimeeni.com

Kiddie quiche pies Makes 12 Ingredients 6 eggs 12 slices of bread 2 tbsp parsely, finely chopped 100g ham, finely chopped 1 large tomato, seeds removed and finley diced 1/4 cup grated cheese 100g feta cheese, crumbled Method Preheat the oven to 180째C. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and lightly whisk.

Add the remaining ingredients (except the bread). Stir to combine.

Using a round cutter, cut 12 circles from the bread. Press the bread cicles into the muffin tray. These are the base of the pies.

Carefully pour the mixture into the bread bases.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the egg mixture has set.

Heart Stripe Swing Top, $25.95 and Tulle Tutu, $34.95 www.plumcollections.com.au

Easy banana muffins Makes 12 Ingredients 2 large bananas 2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour 90g butter, melted 1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs 100ml maple syrup Method Preheat the oven to 180째C. Line a 12-hole muffin try with paper muffin cases.

Peel and mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients into the bowl and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix the muffins!

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cases.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the muffins have cooked through when tested with a metal skewer.

Serve as is or lightly sprinkled with icing sugar.

Emily cardi, $34.95, www.cottononkids.com.au; Violet carousel dress, $58, www.daisyandmoose.com.au; Mocha headband, $20, pixiespix.com.au Flutter long sleeve snowflake tee, $39.95, oobi.com.au; Ditsy cotton skirt, from $18.50, au.nextdirect.com; Mandarin medium bow, $24, pixiespix.com.au Blue v-neck t-shirt, $25, www.justjack.com.au; French terry indigo denim pant, from $54.95, www.eenimeeni.com

April 2015 School holiday guide Elise Easdown, What’s on 4 Queensland Fame FAME Theatre Company will run School Holiday Theatre workshops over the Easter break. Children will experience the fun and excitement of our theatre workshops, and learn many wonderful skills including; stage craft, dance, drama and singing. The week culminates with a full musical theatre performance. www.fametheatre.com

Redcliffe Sales Festival Ahoy, pirates! Young deckhands are wanted for the journey of a lifetime. Step into the Kids Ahoy Pirate Zone for plenty of nautical activities alongside amusement rides and more! Enjoy the seaside entertainment as the kids-themed stage boasts plenty of lively music and entertainment for the younger Festival goers. There is also a permanent kids playground for those who prefer the steady ground. Activities and entertainment will run from 9.00am - 4.00pm on Good Friday 3rd April www.sailsfestival.com.au

School Camps Give your kids more fun than ever on the Easter Holidays and enjoy a break yourself. School Camps Qld Kids Holiday Camp is running from 12th to 17th April - that’s 5 days/6 nights of outdoor activities including; The Mission Mud Course, Kayaking, Abseiling, Slip n Slide Baseball & more. Also includes a magical trip to Dreamworld, all accommodation, catering & 24 hour supervision. www.schoolcampsqld.com.au

Carindale Westfield Shopping Centre HOP ON IN! To the A-MAZE-ING Easter Maze and Craft Village that will be popping up in Centre Court this Easter from Saturday 28th March - Monday 6th April.

Head into the enchanted hedge maze to complete the scavenger hunt! When you finish you will also receive a free Easter treat! Plus there will be a Craft Village filled with fun activities. This is a free event. www.westfield.com.au

Sunnybank Shopping Town Easter’s on its way with The Easter Bunny! Bring the whole family down to meet The Easter Bunny with free bunny ears and Cadbury chocolate giveaways. Have your photo taken with The Easter Bunny in our magical inspired garden.Monday 30 March - Saturday 4 April* 10am 1pm* *Excludes 3 April. The Easter Bunny will be out in 20 minute block intervals, 10am - 10.20am, 10.40am - 11am, 11.20am - 11.40am, 12pm - 12.20pm and 12.40pm - 1pm. www.sbhshoppingtown.com.au

South Bank - Little Days Out Bounce into South Bank for Easter fun and games with Bazil Grumble! Enjoy the great outdoors and increase balance and coordination by participating in a range of Easter-inspired games that are fast, fun and funky!

Easter Extravaganza is part of South Bank’s new Little Days Out program. There’s no need to book or register to take part in this activity - simply head along and get ready to have fun. www.visitbrisbane.com.au

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New South Wales NIDA Let your child unleash their creative side with NIDA’s School Holiday Program, 7-26 April. Offering short courses in acting, musical theatre, creative design and more, the program has something for everyone. Courses are available for ages 2 years+. www.open.nida.edu.au Bop till You Drop Performing Arts Workshops for children aged 5-12.

Dancing, Singing, Acting, Magic, Cooking & Science.

Educational program with professional teachers who will gently encourage & teach your children new skills.

Cost: $65 per day, $30 off siblings when booking 2 days Mention What’s On 4 School Kids to receive $15 OFF www.boptillyoudrop.com.au Little Builders School Holiday Lego® Brick Building Workshops For kids aged 5-12 years, your child will love our Lego® Brick Building workshop. Jam packed with fun building challenges, your little builder will have fun and will be encouraged to build creatively using their imagination and without instructions. Willoughby:15th, 16th & 17th April. Southern Highlands:11th April Book online. www.littlebuilders.com.au Newcastle Museum Newcastle Museum is staging free children’s workshops with a musical theme to tie in with it’s the Making of Midnight Oil exhibition. From a scientific exploration of what makes music to the crafting of percussion instruments from recycled materials with artist Ken O’Regan, the kids will be entertained for hours on end. www.newcastlemuseum.com.au Lah Lah’s Adventures Meet Mister Saxophone, Squeezy Sneezy the piano accordion, Tom Tom on drums, Buzz the Band Leader, Lola the Dancing Double Bass and the ever loveable Lah-Lah LIVE In Concert! From clubs to sold out shows at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and the Melbourne Recital Centre, Lah-Lah live shows will delight audiences and have the whole family up singing and dancing. It’s a spectacularly fun 45 minute show that will have the kids grinning and shimmying from go to whoa. www.lah-lah.com

Australian Capital Territory Belconnen Arts Centre - Canberra This Easter join Canberra artist Genevieve Swifte for a fascinating and enthralling take on the traditions of Easter and still life painting. Under the cover of glitter, metallic paints, and just about anything that sparkles, participants will have the opportunity to explore concepts of drawing from observation including perspective, tonality and form, before turning a dozen humble chicken eggs into a fabulous and imaginative display of Easter sparkle. Cost: $15 plus booking fee (includes materials, accompanying adults free!). This event is mostly suited for young people ages 8 - 12 years. www.belconnenartscentre.com.au

Victoria Medibank Icehouse’s Frosty Flicks Kids all around Melbourne are getting ‘eggcited’ for Easter and, who could blame them when Medibank Icehouse’s Frosty Flicks school holiday program is just around the corner. Kids will have the chance to skate all day as they watch some of their favourite movies on a large inflatable screen. All money raised between Good Friday and Easter Monday will be donated to The Royal Children’s Hospital.

Dates: 28th of March to the 12th of April www.icehouse.com.au Easter Bunny Hunt @ Harbour Town Melbourne Kids can go on the journey to find the Easter Bunnies in Harbour Town Melbourne stores for the chance to WIN a delicious Easter Hamper!

Plus, kids will receive a chocolate treat for entering! Pick up an entry form from The Customer Service Lounge from Monday 30th March until Sunday 5th April. www.harbourtownmelbourne.com.au Lego Brick Zone LEGO® brick events bring the creative, hands-on fun of LEGO bricks to kids and families with an engaging and imaginative experience these school holidays. From free play and building at custom-made LEGO play tables, there are plenty of activities to keep kids entertained.

Dates: Monday 30th March to Friday 10th April www.harbourtownmelbourne.com.au

South Australia

Western Australia

Adelaide Planetarium Travel to the moon and back this school holiday break.

Adelaide Planetarium’s Night Sky presentations and full dome movies offer educational entertainment for all ages.

SciFun Days! Take your pick and book in for a morning or afternoon session with us! You’ll have 3 hours of full on entertainment experiencing a Planetarium session, CSI Forensics Workshop and then seeing SciWorld’s Chemistry is Cool Show all in the one location! www.unisa.edu.au/planetarium Brick-A-Laide Featuring an unbeatable showcase of brick creations and displays from local and interstate modellers and creators, expect to see a wide range of creative spectacles and imaginative builds!

When: Adelaide Convention Centre on Easter weekend, Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April 2015. www.brickalaide.com.au InterContinental High Tea If you are looking for some family fun in Adelaide, the Easter Bunny will be hopping into Riverside Restaurant to enjoy a High Tea buffet to help celebrate Easter. There will be a range of cocktail sandwiches, scones and pastries along with some delectable extras including a chocolate fountain and macaroon tower. Children will experience a special visit from the Easter bunny and have fun exploring on an Easter egg hunt! www.icadelaide.com.au

Walking With Dinosaurs Spectacular Back in Perth for six shows only across three days the Walking with Dinosaurs spectacular is a must-see for anyone with a love for the Jurassic. Or the Cretaceous.

With over 20 enormous, life sized dinosaurs the show has been seen by over 7 million people worldwide and continues to amaze.

When: 17th April to 19th April www.dinosaurlive.com The Brick House Are your children interested in some LEGO® building fun during the Easter School Holidays? Why not come along and join us at one of our School Holiday Camps.

As well as participating in Junior Engineering Workshops (under 7s) and Engineering or Robotics Workshops (7+) we will also have a permanent LEGO® MINECRAFT® zone, LEGO® City zone and LEGO® Friends zone set up for the Easter School Holidays. Plus, LEGO® games, speed build competitions, 2 new earthquake tables and 2 new racing ramps. Ages: 5-11+ www.thebrickhouse.com.au Big Wave Surfing School Secret Harbour Beach. April School Holidays. 2 Day Course $89 - $99. 4 Day Course $189 April School Holidays 2 day workshops- Surfing with your kids isn’t just a good way to get your heart pumping and burn calories. It’s also a great way to build family bonds. When you are exercising together you are creating

Redcliffe Sales Festival - QLD NIDA -NSW

Lah Lah’s Adventures - NSW

FAME - QLD

Little Builders - NSW

School Camps -

- QLD

memories your child will treasure someday, all equipment provided. kids age 8 years to Adults. For ages 8 - 18+ 4 Day Vegemite Surf Groms programs - 4 day course, Free Quicksilver pack worth over $200 inc rash vest, backpack, tshirt & hat. Includes full length wetsuit &surfboard hire. www.surfingschool.com.au

Northern Territory Waterfront with Free Family Fun Families are invited to celebrate Easter Saturday at Darwin Waterfront with free family fun and a chance to meet the Easter Bunny from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 4 April 2015.

A variety of activities will take place on the lawns including Easter art and craft; face painting, balloon twisting, jumping castles, waterslides and a live DJ.The Easter Bunny will be hopping in for a photo along with chocolate eggs and inflatable balloon giveaways for everyone. A variety of food will be available from local cafes and restaurants around the precinct, and a sausage sizzle fundraiser will also be operating during the event. www.waterfront.nt.gov.au

Tasmania Easter Egg Hunt & Family Picnic 2015 One of Hobart’s most anticipated family events of the year, the RHH Research Foundation’s 2015 Easter Egg

Hunt & Family Picnic, will be held at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens on Good Friday 3 April 2015. Bring your family and friends along for some Easter fun!

With all proceeds donated to further local medical research in Tasmania, this is one event not to be missed.

Family activities include: Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt, Meet Easter Bunny, Freddo and Caramello, Colouring in corner - Pin the tail on the bunny - HOPscotch - Egg & Spoon Races - Story Telling and so much more! www.rtbg.tas.gov.au

National Hi 5 Tour Got a Hi-5 fan? The Hi-5 House of Dreams tour gives audiences an invitation to the most exciting “slumber party” ever! There’s not much sleeping but lots of singing and dancing and adventure! Touring Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne & Perth www.hi-5world.com Movie Release’s for Kids If the weather is wet or you are looking for a change, head along to your local cinema and check out the family movies that are offer. There’s something for everyone…

• Cinderella • The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of water • Shaun the Sheep • Up • Home

END What’s On 4 is Australia’s most comprehensive online guides to find local classes, activities, sports, events and birthday party services for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and school aged children. With over 10,000 listings from across Australia, they are the one-stop solution for busy mums, dads, caregivers and teachers who like to know ‘What’s On’. www.whatson4littleones.com.au for activities, groups and classes for babies and toddlers www.whatson4schoolkids.com.au for school holiday ideas for primary school-aged children www.whatson4kidsparties.com.au for local party entertainers and venues What’s on 4 on Facebook www.facebook.com/ whatson4Australia

Image: Emmy Etie

LIFE’S A PARTY Claire Casey had a simple idea to create an event to make it easier for people planning parties and events.

That spark of an idea was Confetti Fair and it has grown into a veritable empire with packed out fairs around the country, a book, a magazine, workshops and more. Confetti Fair Junior will be coming to Sydney and Melbourne in May and will be the go to event for anyone planning a kid’s party this year.

Here’s what the party queen herself has to say.

Tell us a bit about yourself I have always been entrepreneurial from my first lemonade stand at the end of my driveway when I was eight to now. After being told I would never have children I am very lucky to have a gorgeous little boy who inspired me to start Confetti Fair. Over the years I have worn many different hats and have worked in a private investigators firm, for a stock broker, have designed bridesmaids dress, been a wedding stylist, worked in marketing but my love for publishing and event management is where I always come back to, and this time I am staying.

Have you always had a love of beautiful parties and events?

Sure have. My fifth birthday put together at my Grandma’s house is when I first fell in love with a well set out party.

My mum, no matter how little we had, always made sure that we had a great party for our birthday.

If you could organise any event what would it be?

It would actually be a ginormous birthday party for all the sick kids where they could have fun and eat yummy foods and live in a dream like state for that one day. I know that might sound soppy but laughter and happiness is the best.When you started Confetti Fair, what was your

idea of success? How is that different to the success you have seen to date?

My idea of success was just having people wanting to be part of the Sydney fair and then having people turn up on the day. From there the business has exceeded my expectations over and over. It was only every meant to be the one fair in Sydney but to date we have held 17 fairs around Australia, have produced a magazine, have published a book, held workshops and helped bring out one of the biggest party bloggers in the world; Kara Allen of karaspartyideas.com for her Australian tour.

What do your family and friends think of what you have achieved with Confetti Fair?

They are gobsmacked, but not surprised because they know what I am like when I have a passion for something.

What can people expect to find at Confetti Fair? Do you have to be a party queen to find Confetti Fair useful?

Lots of inspiration, wonderfully talented vendors, plenty to see and do, and you can be a person throwing their first party with no idea to start, or a party host extraordinaire.

What is coming up in 2015 in the world of Confetti Fair?

Quite a number of things but I have to keep them top secret for the moment!

What is the best thing about your job?

Gosh, so much. Getting to do something every day that I have a passion for so it doesn’t feel like a job. Being able to help new businesses launch. Being surrounded

by such a great team of Confetti Fair(ies) who share the same enthusiasm as I do. Being able to meet all of these amazing creative vendors and being able to inspire people to throw fabulous parties!

What are the top trends you are seeing for kids’ parties in 2015?

Frozen was huge in 2014 and I don’t think it will slow down anytime soon especially with Frozen 2 coming out.

Tribal will definitely be something to look at, raw tribal and glamorous bohemian. I have a feeling swans will be the animal on trend too, it will overtake the flamingo.

What tips do you have for fuss free party organisation?

Be organised. I start planning my son’s birthday three months out and pick up things along the way rather than waiting until a week before his birthday. I am big on recycling things too, so an old tin can be painted and used as a cake stand, or a picture frame used to show off the cookies. I am very hands on, but call in the professionals for the things I can’t do so I don’t have to worry about them. I also do a run through of what the dessert table will look like so I can just set it up on the day easily.

END

Images:Lil’ Elements

facebook.com/ConfettiFair

pinterest.com/confettifair

instagram.com/confettifair

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www.confettifair.com.au

Kid Magazine Loves

Leaders in baby bath toys have two new products to make bathtime even better. Available from Toys R’ Us the Cast ($12.95) and Pipes ($19.95) will have little minds inspired and engaged with fishing and pouring fun. www.booninc.com

National Family Portrait Month is your chance to update those family photos and support a great cause. Talented photographers from around Australia have come together to offer professional portrait sessions throughout the month of May. The participation fee of $65 is donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. www.familyportraitmonth.com.au

The CC Cream 8 in 1 Mineral Foundation from Klara has a smooth formula that blends seamlessly with your complexion. With added SPF 15+ protection and a matte finish it is a favourite in my beauty bag. As an added bonus, the bottle is super lightweight making it perfect for travel! www.klaracosmetics.com.au

Medela’s Breastfeeding Starter Kit contains a range of products for the right start in a mum’s breastfeeding experience. Whether you are exclusively breastfeeding or additionally pumping, the Breastfeeding Starter Kit is an easy and safe solution to collect, store and feed, to care and protect and to easily sanitize. www. medela.com.au

Tyrell’s Crisps have landed in Australia and I can’t get enough of them. The thick and chunky crisps contain nothing artificial and are a bit fancier than your average chip. With flavours like Sunday Best Roast Chicken and the new English Barbecue the crisps are available exclusively at Coles supermarkets nationwide. www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk kidmagazine.com.au 32

As a mum, wipes are an absolute must in your handbag.

You can’t go anywhere without them. I’m totally in love with the WIPOUCH refillable wet wipes pouch as a stylish solution to carry wipes. Available in three adorable designs wipes never looked so good! www.petitevienna.com.au

Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli landing this ANZAC Day by planting Flanders Poppies in your home. Mr Fothergill’s has partnered with Legacy Australia to produce the Commemorative Poppy Seed packets which are available for $2.95. mrfothergills-seeds-bulbs.com.au

If you’ve got a road trip planned this school holidays then check out these fabulous travel games from Independence Studios. The 50 Travel Games Collection ($19.95) will keep kids entertained on the longest of trips and the Scratch Map ($44.95) will help you track your journey. www.isgift.com.au

Free from soap, fragrance, lanolin and other common irritants, the new QV Face Gentle Foaming Cleanser removes make-up and gently cleanses your skin leaving your face feeling fresh and moisturised. It is easy to use and perfect for busy mums looking to save time in their daily beauty routine. qvskincare.com.au

This month Typo is releasing a range of fun DIY projects including art-inspired homewares and stationery as well as easy to DIY tote bags, activity journals, stencil kits and more.

Typo has collaborated with DIY aficionado Kate to create a range of projects and workshops to get your creative juices flowing. typo.com.au

Combining function and fashion is the gorgeous range from Frankie4. Developed by Podiatrist Caroline McCulloch the range includes high-heeled boots, sneakers, loafers and flats in super stylish designs with Functional Footbeds that support and cushion the heel and arch. www.frankie4.com.au

With high gloss drawers and sophisticated design, the new Jolt range from Mocka is a sleek and stylish storage solution for the bedroom, office or nursery. The range includes a tallboy, bedside drawers and set of drawers with prices starting from $69.95. www.mocka.com.au

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Fitness, fashion & mum life Olympic Gold medallist Giaan Rooney is no stranger to triumph. Since retiring from the pool she has continued her successes, the two most recent of these becoming a mum and launching the Giaan by Spalding active wear range. Here’s what Giaan had to say about life as a mum, fitting it all in and the importance of good exercise gear.

As a busy mum how do you make sure you fit exercise into your day?

I must admit, I had no idea how hard it is to fit exercise into your life when it’s not your job! Therefore I find that like most women, I have times where I can exercise like I want and times where exercise is scarce. I find that scheduling exercise into my schedule like it is a business meeting is the best option for me, that way I can see it in my diary & plan around it!

What is harder - training as an elite athlete or motherhood?

I find it hard to compare Motherhood to my previous life as being an athlete is the most selfish job on earth! That sounds negative but it is reality, as Swimming was not just my job, it was my life. Every decision on every day was enabling me to perform at the top level, whereas being a Mum is the exact opposite, every decision is based around what is best for my Son. I consider both to have components that are ‘hard’ but both have also been so rewarding for me, so at the end of the day I hope to have more children but I will definitely never be attempting a swimming comeback!

What is you favourite thing about being a mum?

There are so many wonderful things about being a Mum, instagram.com/spaldingwomen

but my little man has just started to give cuddles, and I find myself never wanting to let go. It is such an effort getting him to bed each night but once he is asleep I miss him!

What does a typical day look like for you?

I have no typical day, nor typical week! My job can be chaotic & all-encompassing some times and that has probably been the hardest thing about becoming a Mum, the juggle! Zander is in a pretty good routine, so I just try really hard to schedule things around sleep times or work it so that he comes with me, that is where I am very lucky with my work scenario.

How do you indulge and enjoy life?

There are so many little things I try to do everyday to make sure life is enjoyable, but taking stock of how blessed I am every night for my healthy, happy family always puts any drama into perspective. I find that our little Saturday morning routine of walking down to our local cafe, and having breakfast as a family is the favourite part of my week, it restores my energy levels and allows me to properly unwind.

What drove you to want to design your own range of active wear?

I have had ideas in my head about an active wear range for years but it wasn’t until I became a Mum that I really realised how much ‘multi-tasking’ goes on in a woman’s world. These days you don’t just wear activewear to the gym, it also goes to the supermarket, to pick up the kids and for coffee dates with the girls, I am also seeing people travel in it! I’m also a big believer that our apparel can be such a huge source of confidence if done right. So if you

instagram.com/targetaustralia

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www.target.com.au

feel good in your workout gear, you will be more inclined to work out, which means you will gain even more confidence! Win win!

Why is the clothing you wear while exercising so important?

Exercise gear needs to tick a lot of boxes. It needs to be functional, so that it moves with your body and allows you to achieve your fitness goals. It also needs to fit your shape and support you body where it can. I also find that sometimes getting dressed to exercise can be half the battle, so if your gear ticks all the above and looks great as well then you will be more inclined to have a more active lifestyle.

What tips do you have for mums looking to start a healthy lifestyle?

I found the easiest way to exercise as a new Mum was to get out and walk with the pram. Not only did it force me to get out of my pj’s but the fresh air and movement for both of us made it such an enjoyable way to exercise.

I also found that preparing meals for Zander as he gets older means I also ‘sneak’ veggies into our meals too!

Habit!

The Giaan by Spalding range is available exclusively at Target stores and online. The range features active basics including long line tanks, fitted and boxy tees, crop tights, tapered lounge pants ad leggings in a range of stylish colours and prints.

Wholefood Easter recipes Cassandra Michelin, Live it! Do it!

Cassandra Michelin is a mum on the quest to raise super healthy kids on her urban farm yard on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Passionate about inspiring others, Cass is the creator of the #sugarfreeseptember challenge and author of two EBooks full of delicious real food recipes. Her goal is to empower Mums to enjoy life and have fun while taking control of their health and encourage parents through simple and delicious whole foods, and toxic free living!

Cassandra’s latest ebook is The EASTER wholefoods chocolate eBook. 61 pretty pages and 40 PALEO Chocolate recipes! No refined sugar, no grains, no dairy, just real food. We have two of the recipes from Cassandra’s book for you to make and enjoy this Easter and beyond.

The ebook is only $5 for a limited time and is available to purchase at http://www.liveitdoit.com.au/p/ebooks.html.

A ‘ ll you need is love.

But a little chocolate doesn’t hurt now & then” kidmagazine.com.au 36

Choc chip and coconut hot cross buns Ingredients 400g almond meal 100g desiccated coconut 1 cup sugar free dark chocolate buds 1/4 cup macadamia oil 1/4 cup milk of choice 3 eggs 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 big tbsp coconut nectar or maple syrup Pinch of salt Method Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Place all wet ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir.

Now add all the dry ingredients and mix until all combined.

The mixture will be quite sticky but with your hands form 12 bun balls and line them into rows so they are almost touching each other but with a very small bit of room to rise.

Smooth over the buns with the back of a wet spoon. Then using a wet sharp knife, make cross marks on the top of each bun.

Place into the oven for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Serve with cultured butter and chia jam.

Chocolate truffles Ingredients 1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked overnight Pinch of sea salt 1/4 cup cacao powder 1/4 cup carob powder 50 grams cacao butter 50 grams coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla powder Method Chop cacao butter into chunks; place it into the food processor and mill until fine.

Add in all other dry ingredients and process until chopped very finely.

While food processor is still running, slowly pour coconut oil into mixture and whiz until all combined and super smooth.

Place mixture into the freezer to firm up.

Once truffle mixture is firm, use a teaspoon to scoop out portions to roll into balls.

Roll balls in cacao powder, chopped nuts or coconut.

YUM!

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Destination Shoalhaven Sara Keli, Kid Magazine Editor

My family and I were recently the guests of Shoalhaven tourism for a weekend to experience some of the spoils of the region. Only 2.5 hours south of Sydney the unspoilt Shoalhaven offers the perfect holiday destination for the whole family to enjoy.

We ate, played and shopped our way through a jam packed weekend of fun and here are the results.

Play

Sleep The Treat Factory 6 Old Creamery Lane, Berry treatfactory.com.au More than just a chocolate shop, The Treat Factory is a gourmet foodie’s dream. The shelves are filled with handmade chocolates and confectionary and delicious condiments, most of which are handcrafted on site. On production days you can view the chocolates being made or demonstrations can be booked for groups of 20 or more. Be warned, you WILL be tempted!

Holiday Haven Tourist Parks Various locations holidayhaven.com.au The Shoalhaven area is the perfect destination for a family holiday and the area is peppered with tourist parks offering camping, caravan and cabin accommodation options. If you are after a comfortable place to sleep, options for self-catering (in cabin or with onsite BBQs) and facilities for the kids (think pools, mini golf and play equipment) then Holiday Haven Tourist Parks are a great choice. kidmagazine.com.au 38

Shoalhaven Zoo 23 Rock Hill Rd, North Nowra shoalhavenzoo.com.au The largest zoo on the NSW South Coast, Shoalhaven Zoo is set alongside the Shoalhaven River within spectacular bushland. There are crocs and camels, wombats and wallabies and over 100 species of mammals, birds and reptiles. The highlight for our family was the petting zoo in the centre of the zoo. The kids are able to get up close to feed the goats and chickens and pat the bunnies and chicks.

Beaches Various locations shoalhaven.com.au The Shoalhaven area has some of the most amazing beaches in Australia. From the ‘surfing kangaroos’ at Pebbly Beach to learning to surf in Mollymook or water sports in Ulladulla and all the beaches in between. Pack your swimmers and a towel and hit the water!

Walking tracks Various locations shoalhavenholidays.com.au/what-to-do-in-shoalhaven/ walks-in-the-shoalhaven/ The Shoalhaven area offers a range of walks to suit everyone with gentle flat walks for young families to steeper mountain climbs for the more active. Explore the coastline and the bushland and pack a picnic to enjoy lunch in the surrounds of nature.

Trees Adventure 23 Rock Hill Rd, North Nowra treesadventure.com.au Situated within the Shoalhaven Zoo, Trees Adventure caters to everyone in the family from ages 4+. Swing, climb and navigate your way through various courses right above the animals and overlooking the Shoalhaven River. With 6 courses, 13 flying foxes and 77 challenges you will get your heart rate up and burn some energy with the kids while enjoying a fun couple of hours in the great outdoors.

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Shop

The Berry Tea Shop Shop 1/66 Albert St, Berry theberryteashop.com.au A tea lover’s paradise, this cute tea shop doubles as a delightful afternoon tea destination. Stock up on high quality tea and accessories and the most gorgeous teapots and cups around!

Candleberries Shop 6, 94-96 Queen St, Berry candleberries.com.au This is the place to go to find the perfect candle. If you are after a particular scent, ask the owner for a recommendation, he is very knowledgeable and eager to help! More than just a candle shop, Candleberries also stock a divine range of linen.

Raspberry Kids Shop 2/113 Queen St, Berry https://www.facebook.com/pages/RaspberryKids/111915085510734?fref=ts For a mini style hit, stop by Raspberry Kids in Berry to pick up some of the cutest labels around. The large range covers babies through to bigger kids with clothing, sleepwear, accessories and gifts.

The Store @ Jindyandy 719 Greenwell Point Road, Pyree jindyandymill.com.au The Jindyandy Mill has been converted into a gorgeous collection of shops including an antique store, lolly shop and general fashion store. It is also a great little spot to stop and enjoy a sandwich or cup of tea.

Goldfish Toy Shop Shop 3/58 Albert St, Berry goldfishtoyshop.com.au You could spend hours browsing the gorgeous toys in the Goldfish Toy Shop. You will find something for every age and stage with the walls, tables and countertops covered in toys, toys and more toys!

‘haven & space’ Cnr. Alexandra & Albert Sts, Berry havenandspace.com.au If you love to browse homewares stores, ‘haven & space’ is the place to do it in Berry. And no doubt you will find a gorgeous piece to take back home with you. The store also offers a weekly delivery service to Sydney if you find something that won’t fit in the car to go back home.

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Eat

Hunt & Gather Fine Foods 30 Berry St, Nowra facebook.com/huntandgatherfinefoods Great coffee with a rustic menu, this is a great breakfast destination in the centre of Nowra. They make a mean babycino and have both indoor and outdoor seating areas.

Il Locale Gelato 114 Queen St, Berry facebook.com/illocalegelato What is a holiday without ice cream? Il Locale have a range of the most divine delicately flavoured gelatos and are located in the main street of Berry.

Berry Sourdough Bakery & Cafe 23 Prince Alfred St, Berry berrysourdoughcafe.com.au A little way off the main strip in Berry, make sure you visit the Berry Sourdough Bakery & Café. Set in a gorgeous cottage setting, the café is open and light with a delicious menu perfect for breakfast or lunch.

Zoo Haven Cafe 23 Rock Hill Rd, North Nowra shoalhavenzoo.com.au If you are making a visit to the Shoalhaven Zoo, stop in for a coffee at the Zoo Haven Café located at the entrance to the zoo. The outside deck provides a serene outlook to enjoy your meal. The kids will love getting creative on the huge chalkboard wall while you sit back with your coffee.

Orient Point Bakehouse 71 Orama Cres, Orient Point orientpointbakehouse.com A small eatery with a very small menu but worth the visit.

They don’t have high chairs but do have colouring in to entertain the kids. Despite the limited options on the menu (when we visited it was fish & chips or a special steak of the day) the food is cooked beautifully with matched wines available.

Southern Pies 146 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley southernpies.com.au A great spot to stop on your way out of Shoalhaven is at Southern Pies in Kangaroo Valley. The mouth watering menu has pie options including Butter Chicken, Honey Roasted Pumpkin & Spinach and Slow Cooked Lamb & Rosemary. They also make a mean milkshake!

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END

MINDFULNESS:

CAN YOUR KIDS TEACH YOU? Jessica Bee, Flying Start Kids

Mindfulness, it’s the buzz word, set to solve your life’s problems and make you calmer than the Dalai Lama, or so many of the claims go. In fact Buddhists have been practicing mindfulness for over 2,000 years.

Only in the last few years have these techniques for bringing discipline to a busy mind by focusing your awareness on the present moment, really made a surge into the forefront of Western consciousness.

Many scientific studies have now verified the claims that mindfulness and meditation can indeed have a positive effect on the mental, emotional, social and physical health and wellbeing of young people and adults.

An recent article on Montessori.com entitled ‘A Conversation After School’ looked at why young children don’t tend to be overly sharing about their school day at home time. The author of this article believed it’s because they are living in the moment. How awesome is that!

When you see them at the school gate they are enjoying the moment of seeing you again and casting their mind back is actually quite challenging: “The ability to recap the day is a function of the reasoning mind of an older child, not the absorbent mind of your young child”.

So our small children are in fact naturally mindful already, they live in the moment, something we adults are aspiring to re-attain with our studious mindfulness practice! How great would it be if we never lost that skill in the first place?

Incidentally the article suggests the best way to get your child to open up is to model talking about your own day.

Doesn’t it always come back to modeling behaviours? Of course it’s the same with meditation and mindfulness. If

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you model it, they will see it as a worthwhile use of their own time. I learnt this when trying to get my then 4 year old tornado of a son to focus, even just for a few seconds.

Totally futile… until I did it with him. Then things began to…. very slowly… click into place. He will now sit with me for about 5 minutes doing a candle meditation or a visualization. I’m not pretending those aren’t a fidgety five minutes (I went to Mr 5’s first parent teacher the other day, the teacher’s main comment? Wow, he’s certainly a ball of energy…) but seriously, if my whirlwind of a 5 year old can do it, anybody can.

In our technological age the opportunities for reflection and even boredom are forever being eradicated. Ask yourself how often do you give yourself a moment to daydream these days? I’m betting that nine times out of ten you pick up that phone and have a good surf on Facebook. Entertainment to distract our minds is only ever the press of a button away and in the long-term, that’s bad for creativity, ingenuity and imagination. Just Google ‘boredom and creativity’ and you’ll see what I mean. And this is coming from a technological enthusiast. I find applying what I call the Sesame Street rule useful – they have anytime and sometimes foods, and I have anytime and sometimes activities. Screens are great, but they’re strictly a sometimes activity.

So how do we help our little ones keep those amazing powers of ‘being in the moment’ that they innately posses?

With the under 5’s it’s about not over scheduling their day and providing opportunities to practice maintaining concentration and focus. In my kids yoga classes for two to five year olds I find working on fine motor skills is a

great way to balance an active class with quieter activities which create those opportunities for busy little minds to become quiet. They don’t have the mental powers to imagine something specific, like a visualization, so something tangible to focus on works the best. All craft is really in this category, but some of my yoga class favourites are: • Sorting coloured pom poms into coloured cups, ideally with your toes, or pegs, or chop sticks.

• Pipe cleaners + colander. I have seen this occupy kids for over twenty minutes.

• Mind Jars: water, food colouring, school glue and glitter.

Shake and watch swirling glitter (busy thoughts) settle (calm mind). Challenge them not to touch until all the glitter has settled!

• Threading – beads and spaghetti, many options here • Blowing pom poms along a line with a straw • Stacking activities: yoga blocks, cups, how can we make the structure not fall over?

With older kids you can try ideas that work more with imagination and breath. My husband came up with a great one that works wonders for us: listening. He gets my son to tell him what he can hear outside. Mr 5 listens so hard and loves listing all the things he identifies.

• If you have any superhero fans in your house you can adapt this Spiderman meditation to suit your hero’s particular powers. This adapts particularly well I think by getting kids to ‘turn on their Spidey senses’ to focus on what they can hear, touch, smell and taste.

• Relax Kids have a lovely selection of resources, I especially like their books Aladdin’s Magic Carpet and The Wishing Star which are full of wonderful visualizations for kids. The Robot meditation was one that worked for us, where you imagine slowly turning off all the lights and buttons from your head down to your toes.

• Another great book is Sitting Still Like a Frog which has the fun idea of asking children to identify their emotions by creating a weather report: sunny, cloudy, stormy, calm etc. Useful for understanding emotions and learning that we can’t change them, but we can change how we feel about them.

• Search You Tube for fantastic videos by Cosmic Kids Zen Den. These really got the ball rolling for us. We started with Candle of Concentration which is why Mr 5 can now do a candle meditation with me.

And because the techie in me loves a great app, for those sometimes moments when we relax with screens, here are some of the best apps to help children learn about using the breath and managing emotions: facebook.com/flyingstartkids

For younger kids 3-7: Breathe, Think Do by Sesame Street Sesame Street have done a stellar job with this simple app. The cute Sesame Street blue monster engages kids by getting them to help him deal with problems. Kids have to decide how the monster deals with each situation which helps them learn strategies for dealing with similar situations in the real world. Kids learn a good emotional vocabulary, a calm breathing technique and an approach to tackling problems: ‘Breathe, Think, Do‘.

Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings is sweet app for helping kids label emotions.

Cute catchy songs that hopefully stick in little ones heads to help them manage their feelings and a demo of using breath to calm down.

For older kids 7-18: ‘Smiling Mind is modern meditation for young people. It is a unique web and App-based program, designed to help bring balance to young lives.’ Highly rated by the tween crowd this app is clearly doing something right. Easy to follow meditation exercises developed by psychologists to help kids tackle stress. Good for grown ups too!

Ultimately it’s important not to expect over night miracles.

Essentially we are equipping our kids with a tool kit, to help them maintain the ability to live in the moment, to manage big emotions and to reject the need to have the mind distracted all the time. We may never know the full impact of our mindfulness efforts on our kids.

Whether they use these skills is up to them, but I believe it’s worthwhile making the effort because the chances are good that some of it will sink in and at some point they’ll make use of them.

END Jessica Bee is a professional technology educator and yoga teacher, founder of the tech parenting and mindfulness blog Flying Start Kids and mum to two boys age 2 and 5. She reviews the very best apps for growing kids’ creative minds, along with ideas for other non screen related activities. She is especially passionate about assisting parents and carers through the modern day parenting challenges of managing children’s engagement with technology. She lives with her family in Sydney and teaches ‘Bendytots’ yoga for kids at Prana Space in Rose Bay.

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Behind the Blog

Mrs D plus 3 1. Tell us a bit about your blog Mrs D plus 3 is a very relaxed have a ‘cup of tea and chat’ kind of blog that focuses mainly on life with three kids. I write about cooking with my thermomix, parenting tips, fails and achievements, my passion for photography and a little bit of travel. It’s ever changing, as is life, and every time my life or the kids take a new direction, so do the topics on the blog.

2. When you aren’t blogging, what are you doing?

Life with my three kids is non-stop. I am at home full time and basically my weeks consist of cooking/baking, making lunch boxes, dropping off or picking up from school and Kindy, tackling homework, working in the school canteen, hanging up and putting away washing, painting tiny nails, running from one after school activity to the next, watching footy (the kids, not the TV), attempting some kind of fitness routine and just generally picking up stuff off the floor. That last part, NEVER stops!

3. How do you manage the balance between being a mum, blogger, wife?

I still don’t really see myself as being a ’blogger’ as such, but I guess I am. This year, for the first time in four years, I have a couple of days a week to myself. With my two bigs kids at school and the little one at Kindy, I am finally

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managing to find a balance that works for us. I use my days ‘off’ to write, answer emails and just generally prepare for ‘life with kids’. It’s made a HUGE difference on my own stress levels, and the overall atmosphere in our household is a lot calmer too. I’m able to give my full focus to my family when they are around now as I’m no longer desperately trying to do everything at the same time.

4. What has been your biggest blogging achievement?

I don’t think I really have one great achievement. My blog has just been a gradual success - if I can call it that?? It’s still very small and I’m not quite sure when the shift from ‘personal diary’ to ‘actual recognised blog’ happened? I¹m really proud of it though, and it makes me so happy when beautiful readers email to tell me how much they enjoy reading what I write. Best feeling ever!

5. Why do you love blogging?

It gives me the freedom to do what I want and love, as well as be available for my children while they’re growing up. I’m also known to talk A LOT and I guess it’s my little outlet without having to constantly chew my poor husbands ear off!

6. What advice would you give other mums thinking of starting a blog?

Success doesn’t happen over night. It’s a slow burner and it takes a lot of hard work, passion and dedication. If you’re open to that, then don’t over think it, just go for it.

There is space on the internet for everyone.

7. What is next for your blog?

Now that my kids are starting to get a bit older I am thinking about moving the focus off them a little. I am very aware that they are going to start having their own opinions about what I write soon and I don’t want to ever break their trust or embarrass them. I love to do a little more travelling and travel writing. Something that we can enjoy as a family and share with other families too. I am also a trained beauty therapist and make-up artist and I’m toying with the idea of introducing some ’every day’ beauty to the blog.

8. What is your favourite quote/mantra?

‘Measure twice, cut once’ It’s something my Dad always used to say and it¹s stuck with me for life.

9. What is your absolute favourite thing to cook in your Thermomix?

I’d have to say soup. I’m a big soup lover (maybe it’s coming from a cold climate) and I love how easy the thermomix cooks soup. Any flavour I can think of and I’m yet to taste a bad one. It even makes lettuce soup taste yum and that’s saying something!

10. Do you have any handy tips for new or want-to-be Thermomix owners?

I convinced my husband that we needed our thermomix by telling him that I would use it as much, if not more than the TV and he didn’t think twice about spending $2,000 plus on that! It worked and I can honestly say that I do use it more than I watch TV, so for us it’s been a great investment. It is a lot of money for a kitchen appliance, but in my opinion, if you have a family with more than one child, it’s worth it’s weight in gold.

END

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6 tips for dealing with toy clutter in your home Amanda Lecaude, Organising You

There is no right or wrong way when it comes to storing or organising children’s toys in your home.

You have to do what works for you, your family and the space you have. It’s about finding the balance between keeping the toys accessible for the children to play with but organised and out of the way when needed.

Many of my clients, particularly those with younger children, often struggle in what to do with toys and where they should live in the house. Often they tend to end up settling in the central living space as that is where you are and where the children, particularly younger ones, want to be.

As children get older you generally find they are happier to play with and store their toys in another area away from the central living space and in a toy room.

Where ever your children play with or store their toys it is important to keep on top their organisation and not just shut the door to the room so you can’t see what is inside at the end of the day.

Here are 6 tips to assist you in dealing with toy clutter in your home.

1. Get children to help you put them away Often it is easier to just spend 5 minutes at the end of the day putting away the toys yourself but my advice is to begin teaching your children from young age to help you.

Investing in this time early on by involving them in the process will teach them responsibility and organisation skills that will assist them in life.

For younger children you could make it into a fun time with a game by setting a timer and giving them small tasks to complete.

Don’t necessarily pick up after each time they play with their toys as you would be doing this all the time. Try though by taking a few minutes at the end of each day and doing this on a regular basis so that it doesn’t become too big a chore and overwhelm you and the family.

2. Try and establish a one activity at a time routine ”You can play with the cars after you put the puzzles back in their home”. Encourage children to put away an activity or set of toys when they are done playing before they start the next activity. This isn’t always going to work but it is worth spending time implementing when children

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understand the concept. Children often follow similar routines at daycare, kindergarten or school so it is won’t be foreign to them.

It is a good idea to periodically go through your children’s toys to see what items might need:

3. Store toys ‘Like with like’ or ‘same with same’ and make toys easily accessible – where possible it is better to keep toys of a similar nature together rather than having in one large toy box. Generally large toy boxes don’t work very well as toys get mixed up in one big mess, things get lost and often you find children will just tip out all of the contents anyway to find what they are looking for.

My advice is to use smaller easier to handle carry containers for storing similar items together. Often clear tubs can work with picture labels for younger children.

It is useful for example keep together all the toy cars, or dolls clothes, or blocks, or lego and so on. If you have book shelves or even the cubed bookshelves you can use containers in these to keep toys of a similar nature together.

Dress ups are usually great if you can keep them all together in one place and where children can easily get them out as well as put them away.

• repairing • cleaning • throwing out • donating or handing on as they are no longer used or age appropriate.

A good time to go through this process might be prior to a birthday or before Christmas. Depending upon the age of your child you might like to involve them in the decision making process too.

If you are donating items ask around in your local community as often kindergartens, schools, medical rooms, or children’s hospitals will be very grateful to receive toys that are in reasonable and workable condition.

Finally let me leave you with a final thought if I may - I remember the days when we had toys everywhere in our living space and I often thought this is never going to end. Well it does and my advice is to try and enjoy this period of time in your life as before you know it they will be older and no longer want to play with toys.

Please use these tips to assist you with staying on top of toy clutter so the toys don’t control your house but you control them!

4. Rotate toys on a regular basis As children seem to have quite a lot of toys these days a rotation system can assist with keeping clutter at bay.

Where possible store the surplus toys in containers in a shed or even in a cupboard. This will assist with storage issues in your living space and create new experience for your children when you rotate them around.

5. Keeping some toys out of reach By this I mean keeping those toys that require greater assistance, like art & craft or complex puzzles, in a less accessible space. This won’t suit all of you as I know for some families like to have their children access all varieties of activities at all times where as others like to control the use of these things. You need to find what works best for you and your family.

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6. Regularly sort through toys

END

Amanda Lecaude is professional organiser who loves being able to help people – her clients – get organised.

She see’s the difference it makes in their everyday lives, particularly families, just to have a way to create some TIME, SPACE and BALANCE! She also very passionate about equipping school students with organising skills for life to maximise greater results primarily in secondary school and limit the overwhelm and frustration for both them and their parents.

Get in touch 0409 967 166 amanda@organisingyou.com.au

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New kids on the block

This winter animal print is a stylish trend for babies and kids clothing. Cheeky Little Soles is leading the way with their gorgeous ‘Into the Wild’ soft-soled baby shoes.

Available in two prints at $39.95 each they will keep your little ones feet covered in style. www.cheekylittlesoles.com.au

Dreambaby has launched a new multi-use latch featuring Ezy-Check technology, which indicates when the latch is locked and unlocked. At only $5.95 the latch gives parents peace of mind, sticks with adhesive and can be used in a number of different surfaces in the home. www.dreambaby.com.au

Market leader Kellogg’s has this month launched a muesli containing the five whole grains – rolled oats, wheat, barley, triticale and rye. The formula contains no artificial flavours or colours, is low in salt and tastes great! The two flavours are on supermarket shelves now for $4.49. www.kelloggs.com.au

If you are considering the switch to reusable cloth nappies, Bambino Mio might be the answer for you. The miosolo is an extra soft all-in-one reusable nappy that is one size, meaning it will grow with your baby from birth to toilet training. www.bambinomio.com.au

Designed by two female engineers who lamented the lack of building toys for girls, Roominate is a toy line of customisable building systems that allow children to create original and unique structures from a dollhouse to a helicopter. Kids can designs, build and wire the toys encouraging innovation and creativity. Available in all toy stores from June. ww.roominatetoy.com

A new resource to help parents navigate the world of early childhood development has been launched by Fisher-Price.

Fisher-Price Play IQ helps parents track specific areas of their child’s development with advice and activities on how to best support each stage. www.fisherprice.com.au/playiq

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eeni meeni miini moh’s super comfy yoga leggings for children are now available in grown up sizes. If you’ve had major fashion envy of your kids tights then grab yourself a pair as they are only available for a limited time.

The 95% cotton, 5% elastane leggings are $49.95. www.eenimeeni.com

Kenwood has released the newest product in their range – the kCook, an all-in-one multi-cooker. The kCook has a slow cooker function, various temperature settings for simmering, reheating and boiling along with three recipe pre-sets. Chopping, stirring and steaming are also sorted in this handy machine which retails for $699. www.kenwood-australia.com

The new Snugbud from Love to Dream is the perfect transitional object for kids moving from swaddling to arms out sleeping. Made from the same soft fabric as the Swaddle UP, little ones will be familiar with the feel and love the super cute characters and satin tags for comfort and security. www.lovetodream.com.au

Toddler dynamo Pixie Curtis is at it again adding to her range of gorgeous Pixie’s Bows with a new collection of headbands. Featuring the signature bow that Pixie is famous for, the headbands are wrapped in the same ribbon for a gentle fit over the head. pixiespix.com.au

A new range of Petit Collage Canister Puzzles has launched featuring adorable designs including Into Space, Owl Family, Royal Castle and Storytime. The 64-piece puzzles are perfect for jigsaw loving preschoolers, available for $24.95. The canisters also double as a money box and are perfect for a travel toy! www.tigertribe.com.au kidmagazine.com.au 49

The new Carmex Jasmine Green Tea squeeze tube is a beautiful blend of fragrant Jasmine and smooth green tea. It contains SPF15 and deep-penetrating hydration properties to soothe and protect dry and cracked lips. Available this month from leading pharmacies for $5.99. www.mycarmex.com.au

5

Minutes with Angela Henderson

Angela Henderson is mum to five-year-old Finlee and two-year-od Chloe, works full-time as a mental health clinician and holds a Masters in Social Work.

If that isn’t enough, this busy mum is also the owner of Finlee & Me – an online baby ad kids store full of some of the best products in the market. Originally from Canada, Angela moved to Australia after marrying her husband.

Three words to describe your style Simple, comfortable, conservative

Top fashion brands for you and the kids I would be lying if I said Country Road, Guess and Dolce & Gabbana. My family is very chilled and because of this the brands we wear are comfortable and sporty. So the fashion brands (if they can even be called fashion brands) would be: Nike, The Gap and Tommy Hilfiger.

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Beauty product you swear by I have to be honest in this department and make up is something I only wear on the very rare occasion. And when I do wear make-up I keep it simple with mascara and lip balm. I’ve always found natural is the best way for me.

Advice for juggling motherhood and work Organisation and structure have been key for me. I run a tight ship, but because of this I’m able to ensure I have time to spend with my kids, my hubby, my friends and myself. I believe quality time with the people I love the most is better than quantity so when I do spend time with the people I love, I focus on them and put the phones/ computers etc away.

Favourite room in your home Finlee and Chloe’s bedroom. There is something magical by being in their room that allows me to forget about the responsibilities of being an adult and just have fun. Enjoy the moment. Create the memories that will be with them forever.

Words of wisdom to new mums Ask for help. Never… ever… be afraid to ask for help. Create a village of people who will support you such as your family, a good friend etc. Your village doesn’t have to be big, it just needs to be dependable.

Ultimate holiday destination Maldives. This part of the world is slowly disappearing and I would love to have the opportunity to learn about their culture, experience their food and soak up the sun on their beautiful beaches.

Quote/mantra you live by You are amaze balls.

Best toy you ever bought your kids A balloon ball. Balloons are one of top choking hazards in kids and the balloon ball is simply amazing. It’s a fabric cover that goes over the balloon, so if it pops all the pieces remain in the fabric cover and an adult has to get them out and replace the balloon. It’s also great to work gross motor skills, but the best part is that it’s so compact you can pop it in your carry-on bag and take it with you traveling. I love the balloon ball so much, I tracked down two Australian designers who now supply us with stock for Finlee & Me.

Shopping – online or bricks & mortar?

Before I had kids, I would say bricks and mortar. There is nothing better than to go shopping with my girlfriends, grab a bite to eat and catch up on life. However, since having kids the thought of taking them shopping is not something I jump for joy over and prefer to do everything online when I can.

END

Technology you can’t live without My iPhone. It goes wherever I go, not only for work but to capture my life through photos and also to stay connect with my family and friends back home in Canada.

facebook.com/FinleeandMe

pinterest.com/finleeandme

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www.finleeandme.com.au

Choosing the right birth for you Cas Hartley, Tembo Kin So you’re pregnant? Congratulations! You must be absolutely thrilled, but whether this is your first baby or your 5th you are now facing a big decision. How are you going to birth your baby.

We have a lot of choice in what our antenatal, birthing and postnatal care will be like here in Australia and it can be overwhelming to try to sort through your choices at an already overwhelmingly emotional time. So let’s break it down a little for you.

Homebirth is legal in Australia and is a safe option for most mothers and babies. If you would like to have a homebirth, your care will be undertaken by an independent midwife. Some of the main advantages of homebirth are that you get to labour and birth in the comfort and familiarity of your own environment, which has been proven to help move labour along, and you know your care team.

If you would prefer to give birth in a hospital, there are many choices about how you can do this. We have both public and private healthcare systems here and each has its pro’s and con’s.

If you go through the public healthcare system, your care options very much depend on where you are located. If you live in a metropolitan area, your options are going to be greater than if you live in a more regional, rural or remote area. Most major hospitals offer a birth centre, midwife-led care, shared care and care by an obstetrician.

Each of these comes with its own benefits and drawbacks.

Birth Centre – Birth Centres are perfect for those women who would like the comfort of a home-like setting with kidmagazine.com.au 52

the reassurance of having the hospital facilities right there.

There are birth centres available in all states of Australia, and through the birth centre you have the option of care through the hospital midwifery program, an independent midwife or a private obstetrician.

Midwife Team Care – Also known as Caseload, Community Midwife Program and Midwife Group Care, this type of care is midwife-led. You will see the same group of midwives throughout your antenatal care and will have a midwife you know be present when your baby arrives. With this type of care, you can get to know your midwives and be comfortable with the people who will support your labour and birth. You will also receive support for up to 6 weeks post-partum.

Shared Care – With shared care, the bulk of your antenatal will be undertaken by your GP who will order all tests and keep track of all pregnancy related matters. You will see the midwives at the hospital towards the end of your pregnancy and birth in the hospital birth suites.

Routine Care - Routine care is where you are seen by the midwife or doctor on duty at the time of your appointment. You will give birth in the hospitals birth suites and the midwife and/or doctor that is present when your baby arrives may or may not have seen you before.

Private Midwifery Care – You may choose your antenatal care and your chosen midwife will be able to attend you during labour. You will need to ensure that your midwife has admission rights with your hospital and there will be extra costs associated with utilising a private midwife.

Private midwifery care is excellent for women who would

like to know their birth attendants and require some additional assistance post-partum.

For further information on any of these care models, please follow the links:

Our private maternity care system is very similar to the public system here in Australia. The biggest difference is you get two choices for care. You may also get a private room post-birth where your partner can stay as well.

www.qld.gov.au/health/children/pregnancy/birthcentres/ www.health.wa.gov.au/havingababy/birth/index.cfm www.health.vic.gov.au/maternitycare/maternityservices/ index.htm www.homebirth.org.au/ www.health.nsw.gov.au/Kids/Publications/having-a-baby. pdf

Private midwife team – You will be cared for by the private midwives employed by the hospital or your own independent midwife that has admission rights to that hospital. You may choose whether to have your baby in the hospital, or at home.

Private Obstetrician – A private obstetrician that practices within the hospital will be in charge of your care.

Obstetricians specialise in women with complicated pregnancies, so if you have any medical concerns or potential issues that may impact on your pregnancy and/ or birth, this is an excellent option for you. If you choose to use a private obstetrician, you will need a referral from your GP. As you can see, there are a lot of different choices for antenatal and birthing care. It is important that you choose the care model that is right for you and your family and that you empower yourself with the knowledge to make an informed decision about which care provider and what birth you want for your and for your baby.

facebook.com/Tembo.Kin

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Cas is mama to 4 beautiful children, student nurse, doTERRA wellness advocate and founder of Tembo Kin. In a past life, she was a Self Managed Superannuation Fund Auditor and accounting student but after falling pregnant with her 4th child in 2013 found her true calling in educating and empowering parents to make informed decisions for their families. Cas passionately believes that education and knowledge are the key to empowerment in parenting, and in life. She wants to share what she has learned with other parents to help raise the next generation of caring, intelligent, spiritual and emotionally intelligent adults that will change the world.

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www.tembokin.com.au

Book reviews

This beautifully illustrated book follows the alwayson-the-go Izzy on her school trip to the zoo. She is warned to never a tickle a tiger but what happens when the temptation is too great? A gorgeous story to capture tiny imaginations.

Bloomsbury, $14.99

A delightful look at growing up and a Mother’s love. Our Love Grows is a simple story with beautiful illustrations that will leave a tear in any parents eye. Fall in love with Pip and Mama Panda as they are sure to become firm favourites at your evening story time.

Scholastic Press, $16.99

Join the Anti-Princess club, a group of girls who are clever, confident and certainly don’t need rescuing. In the first book in this series, maths whiz Emily is entered a local beauty pageant by her mum and the AntiPrincess Club set out to prove that girls want to be valued for more than what they see in the mirror.

Allen & Unwin, $9.99

As the world waits for the arrival of a new royal baby, it turns out not everyone is as keen on the new addition to the family. The third book in the popular Royal Baby series is a gorgeous take on becoming a sibling that any Prince or Princess can relate to.

Bloomsbury, $14.99

OMG I’m pregnant…

A perfect guide for the perfectionist mummy

By Lauren Jackman

Try the real thing this Easter with the new wholefoods chocolate ebook from Cassandra Michelin (Live it Do it). The recipes are simple, easy to follow and most importantly delicious.

Cass has carefully created 40 recipes that you (and the kids) will love. www.liveitdoit.com.au, $5

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If you are battling bedtime with your kids then your saviour is here in the form of Sleepy Magic, a step-bystep night-time sleep ritual that combines meditation, affirmations, imaginations and breathing techniques.

Suitable for children aged 3-10 the ritual calms and connects for a magical bedtime experience. daniellewright.com.au, $29.95

Fiction for foodies by Hannah Tunnicliffe, the author of The Colour of Tea. Filled with drama, love, loss, friendship, intrigue and food, Season of Salt and Honey is a delightful read about comfort, change and hope.

Pan Macmillan, $29.99

Planned or not, pregnancy is a wild ride with many bumps and twists along the road. Popular blogger, Canberra Mummy has penned this ebook covering everything from telling friends and choosing a Dr to morning sickness and maternity fashion.

The perfect guide for the perfectionist mummy! canberramummy.com, $4.99

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REGAIN YOUR HEALTH – WITHOUT EVEN LEAVING HOME! Between sleepless nights, nappy changes, toddler wrangling, meal prep, navigating teen angst, and trying to get your kids out the door in under an hour, who has the time to focus on their health – right?

Enter: the easiest way to get your health back on track – OH! MAGAZINE. Authored by one of Australia’s leading health experts, including celebrity chef Pete Evans, super fitness trainer Michelle Bridges and nutrition guru Dr Joanna, OH! MAGAZINE is a 100% free, monthly, online magazine that provides you with helpful tips to help you regain your health (and sanity!), without even leaving the house!

TAP/CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE, OR TO FIND OUT MORE. www.ohmagazine.com.au

Available on your iPhone, or any other mobile device or computer that reads PDFs!

Hop Hop to the Easter Bunny

Blue Attibebe toddler shoes, $29.95 www.attipas.com.au

Cadbury Easter Egg hunt pack, $12 www.cadbury.com.au

Jane Easter floal toddler pyjamas, $39.95 www.fourinthebed.com.au

Melamine side plate, $11.95 www.mozi.com.au

Where’s the Easter Bunny?, $16.99 Scholastic

Petit Collage Rabbit Puzzle, $9.95 www.tigertribe.com.au

Pink bunny ear fleece hoodie, $34.95 www.plumcollections.com.au

Bunny earflap hat, $44.95 www.acornkids.com.au

Dairy Milk Egg 420g, $20 www.cadbury.com.au

Flopsy bunny baby shoes, $39.95 www.cheekylittlesoles.com.au Bunny baby rabbit lamp, $149.95 www.isgift.com

hi-5 house of dreams The Hi-5 crew are busily preparing for their new House of Dreams tour which will be arriving in Australia in June. Mary, Ainsley, Tanika, Stevie and Dayen were kind enough to take a few minutes from their busy schedules to answer some questions for our Hi-5 fans.

What can fans expect in your Hi-5 House of Dreams tour?

Dayen - You are invited to a big Hi-5 sleepover party. With the help of Chats, the Dream Master and her magical Dream Catcher, you will join us on some wild, wonderful and wacky dream adventures!! It’s going to be alot of fun!!

How long has the tour been in the making?

Mary - We’ve had the Hi-5 Dream idea for almost two years now. It’s so exciting that we’re finally going to be performing it for everyone really soon!

What would you say to kids to encourage them to chase their dreams?

Ainsley - With dreams, you can achieve many things, never ever give up on your dreams, no matter what people say, they can lead to wonderful, magical, happy places in this world.

What did you dream about as kids?

Tanika - I would dream about living in different countries and teaching the kids how to dance. I guess my dreams have come true!

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What is your favourite bedtime lullaby?

Stevie - Twinkle twinkle little star…My mum used to sing it to me every night. So special to share those special memories with my parents.

What are your tips for an awesome slumber party?

Mary - I love slumber parties!!

Tip No.1 - Pink Pyjamas.

Tip No.2 - Bring your teddies!

Tip No.3 - Don’t forget your movie snacks.

Tip No.4 - Don’t forget the movie! Ha ha!

If you weren’t part of Hi-5, what would you be doing?

Tanika - I would definitely be travelling the world and working with children along the way!

When you aren’t busy singing and dancing with Hi-5, what are you doing?

Dayen - I love spending time with my dogs and also learning to play the ukulele. Who knows - I might even play it for you at the show!

END The Hi-5 House of Dreams tour kicks off in Sydney on 28 June. Featuring all your favourite Hi-5 songs and plenty of new ones, join Stevie, Mary, Tanika, Ainsley and Dayen as their dreams come true. Tickets are on sale now. For full information visit www.hi-5world.com

DVD reviews Paddington Avaialable on DVD on 9 April Paddington is an old favourite and unlike many modern adaptations of old classics, the new Paddington film does the little orphaned bear the justice it deserves. With a cast of well known actors including Nicole Kidman and Hugh Bonneville, Paddington is a heart-warming story perfect for any family movie night.

Paddington finds himself lost and alone only to be taken in by the kind Brown family. The film follows Paddington’s adventures in a hilarious and carefully portrayed manner. Voiced by British actor Ben Wishaw, Paddington exudes the right amount of charm and innocence that makes us all love him.

Big hero 6 Avaialable on DVD now It would be hard for any film to follow the huge success of Frozen but Big Hero 6 does a pretty good job! Set in the city of ‘San Fransokyo’, this animated film is loved by kids and adults alike. The animation in the film is outstanding and the story mixes humour and emotion perfectly.

My nephew couldn’t take his eyes off the TV while he was watching it and I know it will be on high rotation when we have kids visiting. A beautiful story about a band of high-tech heroes, Big Hero 6 tells a tale of the importance of friendship and hails intelligence as a super power.

can’t get enough of kid magazine?

For mums who love pretty things, style and looking after themselves and their families, the Kid Magazine blog is a must read. Be inspired by the weekly etsy roundup, see what goes into making Kid Magazine plus more of the features you love including recipes, craft ideas, tips for everyday parenting and much more.

If you think you have an interesting story that other mums would love to read about then get in touch about our guest blogging opportunities. Email sara@kidmagazine.com.au to say hey.

www.kidmagazine.com.au/category/blog

giveaways To enter visit www.kidmagazine.com.au/win Competitions close Sunday, 31 May 2015 at midnight AEST Full competition terms & conditions at www.kidmagazine.com.au/terms--conditions Five Big Hero 6 gift packs valued at $124.95 each

A $100 gift voucher from Four in The Bed

A Natural Secrets gift pack valued at $79

A Klara Cosmetics gift pack valued at $150

Five Paddington DVDs valued at $34.95 each

A $200 gift voucher from Frankie4 Two Speckled House baby blankets valued at $72.95 each

Five sets of Kid Magazine Mini Month signs

A $50 gift voucher from Sapling Child

Ten Dreambaby prize packs valued at $47.80 each

SUBSCRIBE @ www.kidmagazine.com.au

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april/may 2015 - Issue twenty one