Westside MamaMag October 2016

WESTSIDE

mamamag October 2016

WIN a $5oo GAP GIFT CARD Summer fashion Shopping with conscience Juice cleansing Missy Higgins Style identity

free Local fun for the Westside mum

I’M AIDEN 20.07.2016 | 3.255KG

BORN AT ST VINCENT’S PRIVATE HOSPITAL TO A

VERY HAPPY SHIRLEY & NATHAN

At St Vincent’s Private Hospital, we couldn’t be happier to bring new babies into the world, every single day.

To find out about having your baby at St Vincent’s Private Hospital visit svphm.com.au/maternity

St Vincent’s Private Hospital Melbourne 59 Victoria Parade Fitzroy Vic 3065

P: (03) 9411 7111 F: (03) 9419 6582

www.svphm.org.au

@ SVPHMelb

/StVincentsPrivate

@StVincentsPrivate

A good start to learning.

There’s so much for your child to learn in their first five years.

We can help.

It starts with a nurturing long day care environment. At Goodstart, we get to know your child and their personality. Then we design learning experiences to build on their special interests.

It’s a good start to learning for life.

Enquire about childcare and kindergarten vacancies at a Goodstart centre near you.

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dress your best As the weather warms up I’m finally shedding my winter ‘uniform’ of merino shirt and leggings with a dress thrown over the top and full length boots. I love the routine of the wardrobe swap over which starts on my shelves and is repeated in each of my children’s rooms. The best part is discovering I need to go shopping!

As my girls have gotten a bit older I’m finding new favourite stores and labels and this issue is full of inspiration. We talk to our fabulous Mama of the Month Lauri Menzies whose business Blake + Grace sells oh so fabulous handmade leather shoes. Then just in case this issue has encouraged you to go too over the top at the shops Verity Wood encourages us to shop with a conscience. For me this is purchasing second hand or being mindful of how purchases will fit in with how I want to express myself and the clothes I already have. Personal stylist Eliana Colimodio’s article on style identity will help you with some tips on clever dressing. And lastly Courtney Forrest from Laguna Tan & Make-up gives us some handy tips on super quick beauty.

But as we go to print the school holidays stretch out before us. We’ve already enjoyed all the fun at the Royal Melbourne Show (favourite!) and we’re heading off to Sydney. We’ve already hit the beach with the cousins. And I’m secretly looking forward to the end of footy season – although I couldn’t call myself a westie without saying Go Doggies!!

@localmamamag

Cover image by Jasmyne Tomlinson @quinn.and.theo

Contents Shopping with a conscience 6 How to make informed choices Parklife 8 Verona Drive Reserve, Taylors Lakes Juicy Couture 10 Mama does a juice cleanse Spring into Summer 12 Mama’s fashion picks for little girls Mama can cook 14 Italian inspired, don’t forget the wine Lost with Missy 18 We meet new mum Missy Higgins Help children make friends 20 How you can help Cots for tots 22 St Kilda mums need your help Robinson Crusoe movie 23 WIN 1 of 5 family passes Mama of the month 24 Lauri Menzies – Blake + Grace Lovely Locals 26 We explore Caroline Springs Spring has sprung 28 Time to spring clean?

Into the Lost Lands 30 We meet Festival director Simon Daly Fun in the sun 32 How to protect your kids Summer loving 34 Our Summer fashion favourites On the trail 36 Joining the garage sale trail Redefining your style identity 38 Four tips to success A fresh take on Spring makeup 40 Tips from an expert Little dreamers 42 A young carer’s story Super quick beauty 44 We’ve got you covered Colour & WIN 45 WIN Play-Doh party cake sets Turn the page 46 Top children’s book picks

MamaMag October 2016

WIN a $5oo GAP gift card Shop till you drop at either Melbourne Central or Chadstone Gap stores with $500 to spend on Gap, GapKids or babyGap products!

Visit our Facebook page to enter

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MamaMag is published monthly for the mums of Melbourne’s West by Grizzle Design Pty Ltd. ABN: 26 042 138 550. PO Box 8018 Brighton East 3187 Phone: 1300 771 446 Email: info@mamamag.com.au www.mamamag.com.au

10,000 copies monthly in Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Hobsons Bay and Wyndham areas.

Editor in Chief: Sarah Cavalier Westside Editor: Rebecca Gelsi National Key Account Manager: Justine Whatmore Westside Advertising Sales: Maree Sortino Like to contribute an article submission or products for Facebook giveaways? submissions@mamamag.com.au For advertising enquiries: download our media kit from www.mamamag.com.au or email info@mamamag.com.au The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishing staff. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without permission of the publishers.

Health related articles are designed to be informative and educational. They are not intended to provide specific medical advice or replace one-on-one advice from your health practitioner.

shopping with We are overwhelmed with choice when it comes to shopping for our children, and ourselves. It is a joyful experience buying clothes for our delicious newborns and kids, and scientists have now proven that shopping can result in neurological pleasure.

Navigating fashion brands, and seeking out clothes which align with our personal principles, however, can be harder than you may think.

Here are some tips to recognise and support ethically conscious brands.

Make informed choices “Ethical” “Conscious” and “Sustainable” are hot words in the fashion sphere, and many brands will maintain that they are improving their processes, and are aware of their social and environmental responsibilities. However, the best way to learn about your favorite brand’s practices is to research, and ask questions.

Most brands have a section on their website detailing their ethics or code of conduct. Ethical businesses are transparent about their production, workers’ wages and conditions, and have strict environmental and social standards. If your favourite label does not list this information, email Customer Care, or ask an in-store staff member. Knowledge is power, and it’s also addictive. If a brand is guarded about their processes, they may be on the long list of businesses that are not even aware of their own supply chains, or worse, have questionable business practices.

Invest over fast fashion A survey conducted in 2015 by Barnados UK found that the majority of women’s clothes are worn only seven times before throwing them away. Our culture of “fast fashion” has resulted in record-breaking wastefulness, which is not only bad for the environment, but also for our finances.

The many rewards of buying ethical, high quality, and locally designed garments, instead of mass-produced five dollar tees

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a conscience include longer lasting clothes, cost efficiency (cost per wear), supporting local and sustainable industries, superior shape, quality conservation for future “hand me downs”, and more individual designs.

Often ethical brands cost the same as other labels, but are not as visible with a bricks and mortar storefront. It is worth looking online for alternatives. Shopping ethically is not as impulsive, but is definitely a more fulfilling experience.

Choose natural fibres The fabric content of your new clothes should be thoroughly detailed on the interior care tag. Always read the label before buying, and choose clothes made from natural fibres, where possible.

Organic textiles such as hemp, linen blends and bamboo have become very popular in many sustainable and luxury brands, and use little to no agricultural pesticides. They also do not need synthetic dyes or chemicals in production.

Organic wool is another good option, as it ensures the animals are not exposed to toxins, and farmers adhere to sustainable practices.

Fairtrade and organic cotton is a very popular and important fabric, as conventional cotton farming leaves a heavy carbon and social footprint. The use of recycled synthetic fibres such as polyester is rising, as it’s versatile, weather resistant, and counterbalances some of the wastefulness in large scale clothing production.

There are many beautiful and affordable labels available to us, and choosing brands with a strong ethical and environmental conscience not only sets a great example, but also conserves the earth for our children’s future.

By Verity Wood, Womenswear Designer, verity wood Veritywood.com

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Parklife

Brought to you by:

Verona Drive Reserve, Taylors Lakes This playground gets TWO thumbs up by Mamma and the road testing kiddos. Mamma’s fav has to be the flying fox of course, while the kids just love that slide, it also has a sandpit, water pump, scooting path, bridge and basketball ring. Little shade so Mamma says wear a hat, and unfortunately no toilets so be sure to have a pit stop on the way! This park is great for all ages for a fun family friendly frolic!

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Mamma’s special mention: Make it a play pit stop on your way to some exploring at Organ Pipes National Park, just 5k’s up the Calder.

The nitty gritty: BBQ area, - picnic area - shelter - some pram access - lots of parking - no toilets nearby

River Garden Early Learning Centre 670 CHAPEL STREET

Guardian Early Learning Centre - Collins Street 101 COLLINS STREET

Guardian Early Learning Centre - Richmond 67-81 HODDLE STREET

Enrolling now. Call 13 82 30 or visit guardian.edu.au

Juicy Couture After a Melbourne Winter filled with decadence (yes! I have a husband who cooks [sorry not sorry]), I weighed in and decided that it was most definitely time for a ‘Wintervention’.

A juice cleanse seemed like the perfect remedy to overcome my gluttony.

In a world where trends come and go, the latest trend of pressed juices has hit the world with a massive impact. Tailoring your juices to your own tastes and according to what benefits you are seeking has become increasingly popular.

And as we all struggle to find time these days, having it all pre-prepared is an added bonus.

Not unlike a fashion label, at nearly every shopping precinct there are designer pressed juice stores offering cleanses, healthy treats and a huge variety of juices for you to purchase catering to every taste and health benefit.

In 2008 I travelled Eastern Europe with my then partner - now husband. We not only returned engaged, but ten kilos heavier! It was then I discovered ‘Jump Start’, a 7-day juice cleanse book and immersed myself in the world of juicing. Those first 7 days I felt so fantastic they actually turned into 28 and that holiday weight dropped! Over the years since, I’ve returned to the juice cleanse whenever I felt I was getting off track.

So back to my ‘Wintervetion’… When the opportunity arose to trial the ‘Pressed Juices’ Company 3 day cleanse’ I jumped at the prospect of being able to wipe the slate clean and maybe even begin the reduction of my newly acquired ‘love handles’.

To sweeten the deal, the juices are all freshly made with so many amazingly delicious ingredients and combinations. So no more daily trips to my greengrocer for kilos and kilos of fresh fruit and vegetables and no more washing of my juice extractor 8 times a day either. It’s definitely no mess, no fuss. The bottles are even numbered for you so you drink them in the correct order.

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So it’s 7am Friday, and I’m meeting the upbeat, informative and gorgeous Bianca at my local Pressed Juices store. I feel really motivated and leave with tips, FAQs, 16 different juices and even a bundle of straws to keep me going. By morning tea I’ve already had 3 great tasting juices and smoothies and my ‘system’ is already clearly feeling the benefits! Some cold-pressed green juices followed and to be honest, with such a high dose of vegetables, they don’t normally taste great, but the lime and pineapple really took the edge off. By cocktail hour I was enjoying the Zest 4: coconut, lemon, cucumber and pineapple. Did someone say ‘cocktails’!

Honestly, stick an umbrella in this one and a dash of rum and you‘d have a pretty nice cocktail. It is so like a Pina Colada. No wait, this is a detox story right… OK, so this is yum.

It’s refreshing and you can taste every single ingredient in this juice. Make it fun by pouring it into a cocktail glass and add a sprig of mint.

Find a quiet corner (if you have one) and sip to your heart’s content. I am instantly transformed.

I’ll definitely be having this one again.

By 8pm I still have 2 juices to go, and remember Bianca’s advice to space each one throughout the day as evenly as possible.

It’s time for the one I’ve been hanging out all day for, the Chocolate Almond Milk, with filtered water, almonds, dates, raw cacao and sea salt. It is just what I needed, without all the guilt. Finally 10pm and I feel in need of something warm. It’s a ‘health tonic’ called ‘The Sour Cherry’ that includes alkaline water, Montmorency cherry, Nopal cactus (whatever that is!), lemon balm and lavender. I heat it up and drink it like a soothing tea. End of Day 1.

Day 2 starts late after a sleep in, and although similar to Day 1, I struggle to get through them all, surprisingly feeling not all that hungry, just more energised. I think the experience of the pre-cleanse and my ‘cleansing history’ are serving me well. If you go in ‘cold turkey’, those first few days can be really tough while your body restores its natural balance and eliminates

all those built up toxins. I also noticed my usual nagging back pain was gone, something I had grown to accept over the past few years.

Treat your body well, and it responds!

With a temperature of 12 degrees outside and a pot of soup simmering on the stove (clearly not for me), I ventured back to the store to collect my juices for Day 3. As these juices are made fresh, they have a very short shelf life of 2 to 3 days (this is a good thing). I decided when I got there that after consuming the same routine of juices for the first 2 days, I was ready to change it up a bit. I swapped several of my juices to include the purity smoothie as my breakfast drink of choice. As I was soon to find out, it was jam packed full of flavour with mandarin, fennel, spinach, mango, rainbow chard, basil and watercress. Thick, tangy and the mandarin flavour was beautiful. Imagine buying all of these ingredients and doing it yourself… you couldn’t do it well if you tried.

And being a chai drinker, I spotted the ‘Spiced Almond Milk’ so thought that I’d give that a whirl to end my cleanse on day 3. This was every bit as delicious as it sounds with filtered water, almonds, dates, cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla bean. Definitely a cleanse highlight.

So my thoughts... give it a go! Alternatively, if a cleanse isn’t for you, there is a healthy and tasty selection of gorgeous food including sushi made with quinoa and of course plenty of sweet treats that are filled with love and goodness and no nasties. You can even just incorporate a delicious juice, smoothie, tonic or milk into your everyday lifestyle. The choice is yours. And the results for me were fantastic…

I have clearer skin, more energy and have re-charged myself. I’ve juiced myself back to a healthier lifestyle. My slate is squeaky clean.

By Lyla Hennig, Melbourne mama to two small creatures and never without her pen. To follow her very juicy journey, follow her on Instagram @neverwithoutherpen

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Spring into summer Bella & Lace Denim short $59.95 hellowillow.com.au

Josie collar top $39.95, Jasmine alrge bow $7.95, Maya puckers $37.95 www.laceylane.com.au

Jett skirt $49.95, Hunter blouse $39.95, Lotti large bow $7.95, www.laceylane.com.au

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Acorn Confetti playsuit $44.95 www.naughtsandcrosses.com.au

Acorn Issy bucket hat $36.95 www.acornkids.com.au

Abstract garden raglan dress, $46.95 baobab.com.au

Billy Bellara bag $85 littleconnoisseur.com.au

The Phoenix and the Fox, The Tokyo Club Romper $49.95 www.moppitandmore.com.au Jazmine headscarf $9.95, Hunter blouse $39.95, Sienna suspenders $24.95, Wren puckers $37.95 www.laceylane.com.au

Yellow eyelet detail dress $79.95 countryroad.com.au

Bella & Lace Fi Fi skirt $69.95 hellowillow.com.au Pale grey floral print cami $49.95 countryroad.com.au

Wild Thing playsuit, handmade by CharlieBird Clothing, $69.95 charliebirdclothing.com Bella & Lace Olivia leotard $40 hellowillow.com.au

Bella & Lace woven bag $39.95 hellowillow.com.au

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mama can Cook!

Chorizo, Beans & Barley Serves: 4 | Prep: 5min | Cook: 30min

Method:

Ingredients:

In a heavy based pan add the chopped chorizo, cook until it releases its oil.

1 chorizo, quartered lengthways and sliced thinly 1 onion 2 cloves garlic 1 carrot 2 squash (actually you can use any veg)

Add remaining ingredients (aside from the parsley, salt & pepper), bring to the boil then simmer until the barley is cooked.

1 cup barley

Season with sea salt & pepper, top with parsley.

1 zucchini

1 litre stock 1 x 400g tin beans - your choice 1 x 400g tin tomatoes Salt & pepper to taste Parsley to garnish

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In the meantime blend the veggies using a food processor until they are fine. Chopping or grating will work fine too, I am just lazy.

Nonna Josie (Giuseppina) is the matriarch of the Politini family, which has been growing grapes and making wine in the King Valley for more than 25 years, marrying their love of wine with traditional Sicilian food.

Biscotti di Mandorla (Nonna Josie’s almond biscuits) Ingredients:

Method:

4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a large baking dish with baking paper. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites using a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer until thick and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, whisking continuously, until it is stiff and glossy.

150g caster sugar 15ml almond essence 350g almond meal (with skin left on) 130g flaked almonds Makes 24 Prep 5 mins Cook 15 mins Celebrate ‘the sweet life’ with the winemaking families of the King Valley at the La Dolce Vita Festival, Sat 19th and Sun 20th Nov 2016.

Find out more at www.winesofthekingvalley.com.au

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Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the almond essence and almond meal. Place the flaked almonds in a separate bowl.

Roll a tablespoon of the mixture into a rough ball, then roll the ball in the flaked almonds to coat.

Place on the prepared baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Once cooled store, in an airtight container for up to a week.

The biscotti can also be frozen.

Wine match: ‘Our non-vintage Connection Muscat goes so well with the biscotti – it has an amazing complex aroma and the biscotti is the perfect foil for the muscat’s flavours of coffee, marmalade, Christmas cake and dried fruits.’

Luis Simian, winemaker, Politini Wines.

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Niño ELA Point Cook where your child’s adventures are set to begin.

OPENING SOON SECURE YOUR SPOT Email: pointcook@niñoELA.com.au Phone: 9421 6755

Niño Early Learning Adventures ‘3 and 4 year old kindergarten programs are led by our Bachelor qualified teachers daily. Niño ELA’s teachers and educators are focused, engaged and involved in each child’s unique adventure.

ENQUIRE AND SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY

Our emergent curriculum provides opportunities that each child is naturally drawn to balancing with interests and a wealth of educational variety. Our kinder environments are aesthetically pleasing, exciting and rich with key learning environments to assist children’s focus and expand on their interests.

Please email your interest in our upcoming kindergarten information evening coming soon. pointcook@niñoELA.com.au

60-62 Florey Avenue Point Cook. Ph 9421 6755.

feedback from our workshop participants:

Did you know 1 in 2 households in the West already grow some food at home?

Join a local movement of Smart Gardeners producing

“It has been an absolutely wonderful initiative and all for free. There is very little these days you can participate in, and gain from that is free of charge.”

“Really informative, well run sessions, run by friendly extremely knowledgeable people who are passionate about their subject. Thanks so much.”

healthy, free, delicious and sustainable food from their back yards, front yards, balconies, containers and pots!

Register and see upcoming free events at www.mysmartgarden.org.au

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lost with missy Australian singer/songwriter Missy Higgins has enjoyed phenomenal success with her irresistible melodies and ‘arrow through the heart’ lyrics, delivered by a striking voice that clearly means it.

Missy has appeared on the cover of Australia’s Rolling Stone magazine twice and is a threetime chart topper and multiple ARIA Award winner (Australia’s Grammys). But one of her most recent milestones was becoming a mother, with her partner Dan Lee and herself welcoming a baby boy in January 2015.

You’re originally from Melbourne (which we love as we are all about clever Melbourne Mamas!). Are you still calling this home?

We live in Melbourne still, although we’ve been travelling a lot. We just got back from spending a few months in the States which was pretty fun. We toured with Sammy for a bit and then set up camp in LA for a couple of months while I did some writing. It was great to escape the blistering cold of Melbourne for a while.

Obviously home now includes your gorgeous son Samuel Arrow Lee. How has life changed since having a baby? How do you manage to juggle your career and Samuel?

It’s definitely a challenge, juggling career and baby. Only because ideally I would spend all my time doing both, because I love them both, but I can’t. So there’s an inner conflict going on all the time. But I love my work and I absolutely love being a mum so in that respect I’m lucky, it’s just about constantly trying to strike that balance where you feel fulfilled in both areas.

Life has certainly changed dramatically since having a kid, I’ve had to get a lot better at time management for one!

They say it takes a village to raise a child.

Tell us about the villagers in your support network?

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We are lucky to have a great network of willing grandparents around us. They help out a lot, and Sammy loves playing with his cousins, which is lovely. We also have an awesome nanny once a week. Basically she wrangles Sammy so that I can play piano without him needing to sit on my lap and bash the keys himself the whole time!!

You’ve spent the last few months in the U.S. playing several weeks of sold out club shows.

What was it like touring as a family?

It was really fun actually and not as hard as I had expected. Sammy came to a lot of sound checks and watched me on stage, climbed all over the venue and sound desk, and had a ball. He’s also pretty great with babysitters, thankfully. The flights were the hardest thing, no sleeping for anyone on any of them. We got a lot of death stares. But I did love waking up in strange hotel rooms in weird parts of town and having my family there with me. Usually that’s quite a lonely thing, but it was pretty wonderful this time.

With a nearly 2-year-old son, being part of a family friendly music festival like The Lost Lands is the perfect fit for you. Will Samuel be there, rocking along to some of the acts?

We’ve heard good things about The Teeny Tiny Stevies!

Yes I definitely want to bring him, he absolutely loves music and I love the idea of a festival that is meant for little people like him. I’m most excited about looking out into the audience and seeing him bopping along on his daddy’s shoulders to my music. That’s what I’m hoping will happen anyway!

Following The Lost Lands you will be embarking on a national tour fusing your live band with some of Australia’s leading symphony orchestras. In the past you have been asked to play with orchestras but have usually said no. Why the change of heart?

I did a one off show in Tassie on a mountain top with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and it was just so special, I wanted to do it again. Playing with an orchestra is something I’ve always had in the back of my mind as something I wanted to do some day, but the timing was never right. After the Tassie show, though, it seemed like the perfect time.

Can we expect to hear any new music as part of this tour?

Was it a challenge to adapt your songs to work on that scale with so many instruments involved? What sort of help did you need to enlist to make that happen?

My little boy inspires me to look at the world through hopeful, optimistic eyes. Every day is completely fresh for him, he doesn’t dwell on yesterday. So that’s what motherhood has taught me, I guess, that the only thing that really matters is right now, this second. And fun can be had in unexpected places!

I can’t take any credit for the orchestral arrangements, they’ve all been done by some of the country’s leading arrangers (including my keyboard player!) so they’re really quite amazing and very cinematic. My songs seem to lend themselves really well to orchestration, I think because of the way they’re written on piano. And with an orchestra they sound absolutely epic, it’s incredible to hear!

Your Melbourne show will be at the amazing Plenary at MCEC. What was the reason behind choosing this location?

It seemed like the perfect venue to play with an orchestra. The MSO play at The Plenary a lot, as it has exquisite acoustics, perfect for strings.

If you’re going to perform with a world class orchestra, you want world class sound.

Yes, definitely. I’m not sure which songs yet, but I have written a heap of new songs lately (one or two about little Sammy).

What inspires you, and what has motherhood taught you?

One thing MamaMag readers love to hear is other mama’s funny parenting tales. Any stand out moments that Master Samuel has made you roll with laughter about?

Sammy has taken to trying to pash little girls in the park. It was cute at first but now I think I’ve gotta rein it in a bit!!! That can’t continue till he’s 18!!

You can catch Missy Higgins at the Lost Lands Festival on October 29 at Werribee Park. Her national orchestral series kicks off in Sydney on Nov 3, with her Melbourne show at The Plenary on November 27. For tickets and details see www.missyhiggins.com

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How to help children Few people appreciate just how hard it is for children to make friends.

While friendships can promote a child’s social and emotional development, making and keeping them can be tricky.

Ms Palethorpe, Goodstart Early Learning national manager and former kindergarten teacher and lecturer, said parents have a huge influence on their child’s social skills and their ability to make friends.

“Learning issues and resistance to taking turns, sharing toys or giving attention to others poses social challenges for children,” Ms Palethorpe said.

Children learn and construct new knowledge and learnings when they make friends, and they learn how to relate to others, respond to challenges, regulate their behaviour and develop social skills and confidence.

“We know from a young age children initiate playful exchanges with other children, however, to develop these exchanges into positive friendships, young children should be supported to develop appropriate social skills.”

These skills include turn-taking, sharing and listening as well as recognition and respect for the feelings of others.

Families can support children by role modelling appropriate social behaviours, encouraging children to develop their skills and by having realistic expectations of them.

“There will be times when sharing is just too hard and this is why in early learning centres, as children are learning these skills, there will be multiple copies of the same resources to support children with this learning.”

Ms Palethorpe shared simple, everyday ways that parents or carers could encourage and develop a child’s social skills to help them make friends.

make friends 1. Help your child feel safe and help them learn to trust other children and the environment.

For any connection to form with another child, children must first feel safe. Trust is built once a child feels they can trust other children, adults and the environment.

For babies and toddlers, Ms Palethorpe suggested parents sit on the floor and play with their child, and other children, and talk about what they are doing.

“Your child will see this behaviour and soon learn that it is safe and okay to interact with the other child or children.”

Ms Palethorpe explained this was why Goodstart educators made strong connections with families, in order to forge trust with not only the family but through the family to the child.

2. Facilitate connections with other children.

On weekends, Ms Palethorpe suggested while playing near other children, parents could for example say, ‘Georgina, this little person has come over to play with us. She might want to join in on our play. How about we offer her a shovel?’ The interaction helps connect children with each other and helps them learn to share.

3. Model appropriate social behaviours.

Children and adults can learn through social interactions, Ms Palethorpe said.

Creating or leveraging everyday interactions can help children learn fundamental social skills such as greeting other children, turn-taking, sharing or listening.

To encourage sharing, at the park Ms Palethorpe suggests saying, ‘Oh look Sam, Peter has come over to play with us. He is smiling and being friendly. How can we invite him to play?’ or ‘Oh look, that little person is smiling at us. How about you say hello and ask if he’d like to play with us.’

Once a child has built a sense of trust, Ms Palethorpe said it was important to facilitate connections with other children.

“These are all little things that you can do each day that will help your child connect with other children and develop their social skills to make friends.”

“People often think that children automatically know how to start playing and engaging with other children, but this may not necessarily be the case. Children often have different temperaments, past experience or may not have had the previous opportunity to play and engage with children.”

The Goodstart Early Learning Capability Team develops high quality, evidence-based professional learning materials to improve early childhood practice and knowledge of children’s development, learning and wellbeing across Goodstart’s network of 643 centres.

Ms Palethorpe said parents should look at what was going on within the environment and find ways to connect their child with other children, and engage them in a positive social interaction.

www.goodstart.org.au

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Cots for Tots This October it’s St Kilda Mums Cots for Tots appeal and we hope that you can help us.

Having a baby can be stressful enough at the best of times. Not having a cot can create an enormous amount of anxiety for a parent living in difficult circumstances. Imagine if you could not afford to get your nursery ready for your baby. Imagine if you had fled crisis or an abusive situation with nothing.

Imagine if you had to choose between feeding your kids and paying the rent. These are the choices faced by many of the families who rely on St Kilda Mums. The solution is so simple we take the things you no longer use, make them clean and safe, and pass them on.

Maternal and child health nurses know that a safe cot is vital to a child’s health and perhaps even their life.

SIDS and Kids launched their Safe Sleeping Guidelines in the early 90s. Central to this is the need for a safe cot. We believe that every baby should have a safe place to sleep. But not every family can afford to buy a new cot and there is no government funding for people like asylum seekers.

St Kilda Mums volunteers spend an hour cleaning and safety checking every pre-loved cot we rehome. There are never enough donated. We need to raise money to buy new cots. Each week we need to buy between 10 and 15 cots and this number continues to grow.

Can you help by making a donation? Can you help reach our goal to rehome and buy enough cots for 500 families? $30 will buy bedding that will keep an infant snug and safe - blankets, sheets, sleeping suits, wraps, and mattress protectors. $65 buys a new bassinet for families that are homeless, or in crisis accommodation, and do not have room for a cot.

An incredible gift of $140 will buy a brand new cot and mattress; a special wholesale price from a generous supplier.

If you can’t donate money today, you can still help in other ways: - Donate your pre-loved cot or bassinet at our St Kilda warehouse.

- Book a courier to pick up from your home for just $30, which is tax-deductible. Please email donate@stkildamums.org for further information.

- Donate sleep suits, sheets, blankets and mattress protectors.

- Share this message with your friends.

- Run a collection of baby bedding at your school or kinder using the A4 poster on our website.

- Join our volunteer team and help us clean and safety check used cots.

Thank you in anticipation of your support for our goal of keeping 500 babies safe while they sleep.

For more information visit www.stkildamums.org/help/cots-for-tots/

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WIN

mily a f 5 f o 1 sses a p e i v o m

worth $80 each!

visit www.mamamag.com.au/competitions to enter Entries are open to Victorian residents only. Ticket s valid at participating cinemas only. Competition starts October 1st 12.01am and closes October 31st 2016 at 11.59pm.

Visit www.mamamag.com.au/competitions for entry details and full terms and conditions.

MAMA of the month The first time we met Lauri we immediately noticed her shoes: they are show stopping! Since then Lauri and hubby Shea have created an amazing business while juggling their three gorgeous brand ambassadors… I mean children!

Lauri Menzies – Blake + Grace What is Blake + Grace, when did you decide to create it and where did the idea come from?

‘Blake + Grace’ is a Melbourne based online leather goods business, specialising in affordable, high quality, handmade shoes, for ladies and little ladies. I started dreaming about it in 2012, we (Shea my hubby and I) talked about it in 2013, investigated and developed it in 2014 and then launched it in October 2015.

We’d both always had an urge to develop our own business and both have a ridiculous obsession with shoes (more shoes than clothes). We’d also had shoes made previously in Indonesia (the supplier we now use for BG), through close family friends there. The quality blew us away, so when the time came to start working on the business idea, the only idea that made sense to us was designing, making and selling shoes!

What did you do before you started Blake + Grace?

Up until recently I was working in marketing at a global winemaking and distribution company where I’d been for almost 10 years. They were amazingly supportive particularly since having kids. They allowed me to work three days a week which gave me the time (and the money) to create and launch Blake + Grace. The marketing background has definitely helped too.

How do you juggle being a mum and running a business?

I can’t juggle to save myself and with three kids under six it’s tough, chaotic and a little cray

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cray but we love it. We do have such amazing support of close family and friends, all of whom know how passionate we are about BG, and my husband is hugely supportive from how hands on he is with raising the kids (and puppy and chickens) to pitching in on the business, renovating houses and working full time himself, I wonder how he does it sometimes.

And the kids love the craziness, especially the girls who have naturally turned into little brand ambassadors!

Where did the name Blake + Grace come from?

It came almost before the business. Our eldest daughter is ‘Azalia Blake’ and our second ‘Tuscany Grace’. Both middle names are from our families dating back. And what about our littlest, Mahli we often get asked, his time has just arrived with a soft launch of the ‘Mahli’ desert boots for mini men. Likewise something or someone in our lives inspires all of the names of our shoes.

You have such an amazing range of shoes, do you have a favourite?

Haha I have many favourites! The good thing about our range is it’s not mass produced, everything is handmade, and many of the styles we design are trans seasonal or styles that won’t go out of fashion after just one season.

If I had to choose one style though, right now it’s definitely our Taj boots, tan leather, cut outs, buckles the works, so easy to put on / take off, super comfy and totally versatile.

What has been the greatest highlight to date?

One that stands out the most would definitely be when I turned our website from test site to live site for launch, the butterflies in my stomach were probably the strongest I’d ever felt and then the ‘ping’ sound within 25 minutes of launching with our first sale and the fact it wasn’t my mum, mother in-law, sister or a bestie, it was a complete random! That was a highlight for sure. Oh and being at school pick up a few weeks back and seeing someone wearing our ‘Tuscan’ boots and watching people commenting (blush) and it was again, someone I didn’t know!

What’s next for Blake + Grace?

We’ve just released our new Spring range, and our first venture into heels (by popular demand). I’m so happy with the styles and quality, and the response has been overwhelming; you’ll definitely see more heels coming in the future. And I’m a busy mum juggling school and kinder drops, a business, house reno, a non stop two year old, and back to working three days a week, I do love the simplicity of summer fashion, an easy to put on but funky sandal! Something to that effect is currently in production for our summer range.

What advice can you give other aspiring business mums?

Plan it, research it, make sure you have the support of your family, surround yourself with positive people and business partners and most of all back yourself. For so long I was going to do this, going to do that, it wasn’t until I had the full support of Shea that I thought you know what, I can do it and I did. You never know until you do!

And where can we find you?

We have an online store www.blakeandgrace. com.au, one stockist in Newport, and a couple of interstate stockists in scope. But what we’re most excited about at the moment is our upcoming Pop Up Shop at the South Melbourne Market SO:ME space. We’ll be there Sept 21st – Oct 13th every Wed, Fri, Sat + Sun! And we can’t wait.

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lovely locals

Exploring caroline springs 1.

1. Lets a Loaf If you can get past the pun you’ll find organic sourdough, a great range of buttery pies, lovely croissants and more. We love finding something a bit different like their red lentil sourdough and their (award winning) madras curry lamb pie.

9-12 Federation Way letsaloaf.com.au 2. Brew Brotherz This is the local go to for a great coffee, in fact lots of their customers travel.

The welcoming staff are happy to oblige with a well priced babycino and they have coconut, almond and soy milk (Bonsoy).

218-220 Caroline Springs Blvd

2.

3. ThreeSixty Trampoline Park We’ve enjoyed some super fun birthday parties here. They also offer casual sessions, including mini jump sessions for your smaller jumpers (109cm and below). For something a little different you’ll want to try their latest offering— wall running! 1103 Western Highway Ravenhall www.threesixtytrampolinepark.com.au

3.

4. Chipmunks Playland and Café This bright and well laid out play centre opened earlier this year. It has a larger than usual toddler area and its big kids area is for children up to the age of 11. The kids will love the large inflatable slide. You’ll also find free wifi and special events like discos, craft activities and character meet and greets.

1099 Western Highway www.chipmunks.com.au

4.

5. King Swim King Swim has a dedicated learn to swim pool and it’s lovely and warm.

They have intensive programs during school holidays. There’s also adults learn to swim and aquacise (great for during pregnancy).

Kororoit Creek Primary School 5 Millport Drive Burnside Heights

5.

6. Salts of the Earth Salt therapy is used to relieve asthma, snoring, eczema, croup and many more health conditions. If you suffer from hay fever, right now is a great time to give it a try. Salts of the Earth sessions are lovely and relaxing and there is even a special children’s room with toys. 1042 Western Highway www.saltsoftheearth.com.au

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7. Mini Maestros at Caroline Springs Library Children naturally love music and classes at Mini Maestros are fun for children and parents and are structured around the principles of the Early Years Framework. The lovely teachers at Caroline Springs run various classes for children aged six months to five years.

193-201 Caroline Springs Blvd www.minimaestros.com.au 26

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27

spring has srung To Spring Clean or not to Spring Clean?

When asked to publish some helpful hints about spring de-cluttering, I of course said absolutely! However, I was confronted with a challenging notion when penning my thoughts about spring de-cluttering. That is, I don’t believe spring is the best time for the common good of a “spring clean”. The truth is, a spring clean works best as an all round yearly way of life, not just saved for the budding season of spring!

So what does this recurring way of life look like? It means an iterative focus on the top three spots clutter accumulates.

Kitchen cupboards Although it can seem like a HUGE job, one of the best first things you can do is pull out everything from every kitchen cupboard. I’m talking everything!

From this, you can now place clean items back in clean cupboards, but you have to hold that item in your hand and ask yourself; is this used on a weekly basis and does it make me happy?

It’s quite strange to ask yourself if a dinner plate makes you happy but alas, if you’re holding a cracked plate that you have held onto for 15 years and it isn’t really reflecting where you are now and who you want to be, it is time to get rid of it!

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Linen cupboards Give yourself permission to only have linen and towels that are a colour and texture that give you satisfaction. Peter Walshe - my absolute de-clutter guru - advises two sets of sheets per bed. Now I’m a linen lover from way back, so for me this was daunting, so I gave our bed three sets and kids two sets, which works magnificently.

I love my linen cupboard because every time I open it, nothing is displaced - it gives me a great sense of beauty, nurture and feeling like I am in control.

Kids rooms Toys, books, clothes all pile up - often I’m de-cluttering a kids room and find Mum or Dad are either holding onto baby stuff for maybe that second bub, or are emotionally attached to some items. Here’s the thing - you don’t need to save everything. Yes, popping baby stuff in a storage container is great for the former or latter, but I challenge you; open that container and I guarantee you could get rid of half of it!

So make yourself a cup of tea, pull out that container or open that cupboard and exert some quality control. I promise it will bring that space you crave in your kids room, which in turn makes space in your heart and mind for new and wonderful things.

Bringing together my top hints Forget the notion of a ‘spring clean” and substitute that with the notion that keeping your cupboards and home de-cluttered is a way of life.

Having a de-cluttering expert help does save you time and expedites the process of having to ‘do it all yourself’. That said if having a stranger go through your cupboards isn’t your thing, then it’s time to take control and make the time.

Home organisation is a lot like exercise; the same principles apply! You can have an expert get you started, tailor an exercise plan for you and you’re on your way…or you just get out there and jog one day! The trick is to commit to jogging weekly, rain, hail or shine (not just in spring).

Once done, your options are sell or donate.

There is more about ‘consciously’ donating on my Facebook page, which again brings a whole other level of satisfaction to your life.

We often don’t need as much as we think we’re conditioned to be gatherers, but take back control of what you choose to gather and what you choose to let go of. This works not only with your dinner plates but with your psyche too!

Re-organising and re-invigorating spaces, so they can be the best they can be (all year round) not only transforms a cupboard or a room, it actually transforms your life! In saying that, spring is a great time to open that cupboard and make a start!

By Brooke Howden - Clutterless Cupboards.

Based in the Inner West Brooke specialises in de-cluttering, sorting, organising, beautifying, consolidating and re-creating places and spaces. facebook.com/theclutterlesscupboards

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into the lost lands A festival for families and friends Simon Daly started the Falls Festival when he was just 21, after leaving University, without his commerce or education degree, and moving back to the family farm in Lorne. His Dad advised that the Falls Festival would come in peaks and troughs and not to expect more than 5 years out of it. 20 years later and Daly had built an iconic festival that spread across two states on consecutive days over New Years – in Lorne and Marion Bay, Tasmania - with an added location of Byron Bay imminent.

After having his first two kids Lyla (7) and Oscar (3), and 20 years in the festival game, priorities shifted for Daly whose mum, dad, sister and wife were all heavily involved in the running of the business. Now with a third child, Bowie (5 months), and three years postFalls retirement, Daly is reenergised with fresh passion and a spark of enthusiasm that comes with bringing another revolution to the Aussie festival landscape. Bringing back a place that

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time forgot, a lost era, a time where screens were not, comes The Lost Lands. Inspired by a special spot along The Great Ocean Road in the flats by a river with no phone reception, where Daly and a few hundred of his mates and families have retreated to over the past couple of years, came the seedling of The Lost Lands Festival.

Further to your special camping spot and family, where has inspiration for The Lost Lands come from?

In Europe there have been festivals that have been going on for decades more than here and families have been a real and intrinsic part of that. I think that has contributed to a really strong culture in Europe which I think is only positive with kids being exposed to music and arts and its just a real natural kind of progression.

Richard Moffatt (former Falls Festival Programmer) told me the vision I had for Lost Lands was closely aligned to a festival in the UK called Camp Bestival. So I took the whole family and camped there for 4 days and nights with 16,000 adults and 15,000 children. The kids were thoroughly engaged. It was complete sensory overload in the first few hours and then you settled in. They also have a castle, and although we don’t have castles in Australia, Werribee Mansion is pretty close! And the gardens are really beautiful. But also we’ve got a zoo as our neighbour (free entry for the kids over the festival weekend)! The Camp Bestival trip validated the ideas of what The Lost Lands could become.

There’s so many exciting elements to the festival, tell us about one unique act in the program.

We’re flying in Emiliano Matesanz who’s a Spanish/Argentinian who I met when I was traveling through Northern Spain. He makes all these incredible sculptural artistic children’s games and they’re all made from recycled metals, mostly old car parts and general scrap metal, the springs from old bed frames. He has over 40 games prepared for the kids.

There’s going to be many zones. The main stage is mainly for the parents, but it’s also music that you’d be proud to have your kids share and then so much of the other programing is geared towards the kids and once they get to the Lost Lands its then that they’ll realise how big that is. But also the programming of the arts, theatre and comedy is very much for the kids but its also very engaging for the adults.

How do you secure the line-up and get that mix of programming right?

This came together reasonably smoothly.

Trying to get that feel right of things that kids would really love but stuff that goes back to your old days. Like the Waifs.

A lot of the acts we approached have got kids themselves so from that side they just loved the concept right from the beginning. So it was a really easy process to get them involved.

Miriachi Al Bronx, Missy Higgins, The Waifs, Ozomatli, Ali Barter and Architecture in Helsinki are all in the lineup, but we also want the

festival to be showcasing new talent as well.

Uncovering new talents Like Tash Sultana and Alex Lahey. It’s really catering for all.

What stands out, over all those years at Falls? Favourite moments/acts?

There is so many. Harking back to my day and the times, the first Tassie Falls was really special.

It was a real historical moment in terms of my ‘Event Life’. And of course the very first Falls Festy. Performance wise, at the time Iggy Pop was the most stand-out performance of the whole duration of Falls. His energy just being on show. Also The Hives first show in Australia was in Falls, maybe 2001, and they were just such jaw-dropping performances. Just a really special show. They stand out for live performances.

Where do you see the festival headed in the next few years?

Ultimately my vision for it within the next 2 or 3 years is for not only having Lyla (daughter) but a bunch of other kids from different ages, from 4 years through to say 14 years, involved in feedback post events and getting a lot of input from the kids. But more importantly during the festival, getting the kids to run really good chuncks of the event as little event organisers themselves. They’re so switched on and there’s no doubt when they’re given that responsibility that they’ll embrace it maybe even better than any of us. For example that might be wrist banding, down the track and once the systems are in place it’d be really good to see kids checking kids. And there might be an outpost where maybe an adult is driving a buggy and a kid in the front with the list making sure that everybody gets fed every 4 hours.

Between October 29 – 30 Werribee Park will play host to an exciting and carefully curated music and arts program that will cater for the tastes of an estimated 3,000 people aged 2-62 years!

With an abundance of activities, theatre, comedy, acts and workshops geared towards the kids, but equally appealing to the adults, the Lost Lands is sure to delight a wide array of new and old festival goers.

This festival may not be as big as Falls, but it promises to be a festival great wonder and charm.

www.thelostlands.com.au 31

fun In the sun My memories of growing up are primarily of the beach and the pool. As a kid I felt as if I was part fish… begrudging having to come up to the surface to breathe, wanting to stay in the cool, quiet depths as long as possible.

Now as a mother I see my kids enjoying the same affinity with water and I usually have to bribe them with food to get them out of the water long enough to re-apply sunscreen.

Kids are deeply curious when it comes to exploring nature and we have the most amazing coastlines in this country just begging to be explored and enjoyed. However over exposure to sun in childhood greatly increases the risk of skin cancer later in life.

There are a few simple things you can implement that will help your kids establish healthy sun habits:

Know your UV levels.

It is so easy to avoid the peak UV times. UV stands for Ultra Violet and refers to the rays from the sun that damages our skin.

The UV index is a scale from zero (least dangerous) to 11 (most dangerous), It is recommended that if the UV rating is above 3 you need protection (Infants have particularly sensitive skin and should not be exposed directly to sunlight when UV levels are over 3).

Since you can’t see when UV levels are high, why not get your phone to tell you using the following apps: • Sunsmart - This is my pick of apps. It is easy to use and clear, and you wont get bombarded with adds like some of the other

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free apps. You can set up your own profile choosing skin colour and age (I put in my daughter’s details). Turn on notifications and it will send you a message every day informing you of the UV levels in your city and what times you need to cover up (Australia only).

• Ultra Violet - Another app that is fun because it has an Atlas. Press and see what the UV rating is anywhere in the world.

• Get Sunsmart with Undercover Cody Ok, so this one doesn’t help you with the UV index but it is a bit of fun for the kids.

They can dress Cody the turtle in sun smart clothing, which brings me to my next point.

Know your sun protection If you do go outdoors when the levels are 3 or higher it is important to use a combination of clothing, glasses, hat and lastly sunscreen, which should be used only on areas that can’t be covered by clothing.

UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor; how much an article of clothing will protect you from UV rays. It is clothing’s equivalent to sunscreen’s SPF. Basically the more densely woven and darker a fabric the more protection it offers. So if you go to the beach just make sure you wear black denim! Or perhaps seek something a little more lightweight. Just keep in mind if you can see through fabric, the sun can probably get through it. It is really important that kids wear a rashie top when swimming, as they are extremely vulnerable in water. If you go swimming in a thin, white t-shirt, it is not going to offer you much protection. Equally if your kid’s rashie top has stretched because it is not chlorine resistant, it will no longer offer the sun protection it originally claimed. With rashies and hats look for a UPF rating of 50+ (the highest rating). With sunglasses check for Australian Standard AS/NZS1067:2003

UV rays can cause eye damage and it is important to ensure your children have appropriate protection.

If your child is reluctant to wear sunglasses then a wide brimmed hat can reduce UV impact on their eyes by up to 50%.

Appropriate clothing means you don’t have to use so much sunscreen, which saves time and a lot of effort. (Just try to get a toddler to stand still while you carefully apply sunscreen to every part of them while a world of sand and water awaits them.)

Enjoy summer and enjoy your time with your kids.

Some more helpful links http://wiki.cancer.org.au/skincancerstats/ Sun_protection http://arpansa.gov.au/Public/hottopics/ sunprotection.cfm http://www.who.int/uv/sun_protection/en/

By Josephine Webster, The Bathers Company www. thebatherscompany.com.au Josephine Webster is not a medical practitioner and the above is information she has collected through personal research and research for her sun protection swimwear business. Follow the links for more information and for any concerns contact your GP.

Some simple sunscreen tips to keep in mind.

• Opt for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

• Make sure it’s labelled “broad spectrum,” which means it blocks both UVA and UVB sunlight.

• Cover often-forgotten spots: Back of knees, ears, eye area, neck, and scalp.

• For children use sunscreens formulated for sensitive skin, as they are less likely to contain alcohol or fragrances that might irritate the skin.

• Choose one that suits you. Roll on, cream, gel – whatever makes it easier (although I would avoid the sprays as inhalation is not good).

• If you are swimming use water resistant sunscreen.

• Don’t forget to apply 20 minutes before going into the sun and reapply after 2 hours regardless of the instructions!

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Scarlett skirt, $69 featherandnoise.com.au

Summer loving

Le grande shift, $269 gormanshop.com.au

Black Broderie Cape $199 countryroad.com.au

Nikki Chambray short, $59.00 featherandnoise.com.au 34

Flores Lily dress, $150 misterzimi.com

Skitse bamboo dress, $145 elkaccessories.com

Harlequin tee, $99.00 gormanshop.com.au

Lemon soft gather shirt, $139 countryroad.com.au Grid dress with slip, $115 elkaccessories.com Daisy dress, $65 featherandnoise.com.au

Lemon broderie midi dress, $279 countryroad.com.au

Nude Shirt Dress, $249 countryroad.com.au Dana tank - check, $110 nancybird.com 35

on the traIl There is just something about seeing a garage sale sign stuck to a power pole with a few tacky balloons that gets mama really excited!

The simple act of buying and selling at a garage sale can do a lot of ‘good stuff’ beyond making some extra money or discovering a bargain.

Many of us don’t realise that garage sales are also a great way to bring communities together, help save the environment and improve well-being.

Now in its sixth year, Garage Sale Trail is a national initiative that sees hundreds of thousands of people participating in one big day of garage sales. Last year’s event saw almost 3 million pre-loved items on sale at over 13,000 garage sales across the country.

In Victorian alone, over 420,000 items were listed for sale in 2015 and over 61,000 people were involved in a garage sale.

An award-winning sustainability and community campaign, Garage Sale Trail was founded in 2010 by Andrew Valder and Darryl Nichols. The initiative encourages people to sell or reuse unwanted ‘stuff,’ take responsibility for their waste and have fun along the way.

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“We absolutely love the unexpected interpretations of garage sales that we see on the day. In the past, people have sold some quirky items including a signed U2 Gold Record, a beachside apartment, a highland cow, a hovercraft and a definitive collection of Star Wars figurines. Two Swedish girls even set up a roller disco in their garage for the day!”

In addition to finding the ultimate bargain or quirky treasure, taking part in Garage Sale Trail is an opportunity to consider the impact we’re having on the planet and how we can make a difference. Last year, Garage Sale Trail redistributed enough items to fill 100 kilometres of shopping trolleys.

A garage sale is also a great way to bring communities together and to foster neighbourhood relationships. Last year, each Garage Sale Trail participant made an average of 22 new community connections and stayed in touch with 50% of these.

Of the 2,000+ registered sales in Victoria for 2015, an astounding 41,398 new community connections were made.

Sunday 22nd October 2016 Find out more at garagesaletrail.com.au

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Redefining your More often than not I come across lots of mums and ladies who share with me the struggles that they are facing every day trying to identify who they are now and reflecting their personality through what they wear.

Let’s face it, after picking up after your kids, taking care of their meals, taking them to school, preparing meals, cleaning the house, taking care of their sickness, going to work or working in your business, plus many many other tasks that you have to be on top of 24/7, it’s not rare that women tend to forget or even care about the way they look.

You’re tired, restless and on the go all the time, which means it is not that easy to take a moment to think, “what should I wear today that will make me feel confident, gorgeous, comfortable, sexy, etc?” Pretty much the tendency is more along the lines of “this will do”. You then take a look in the mirror and just think “what happened to me, this is not me”.

You lost sight of yourself.

As mother’s it is very important to not lose track of your sense of self. It’s very true that becoming a mother is one of the most rewarding experiences that you could ever encounter but you need to continue to look after YOU so you don’t become an unhappy parent who lacks confidence.

When you get dressed every morning you are creating yourself. Your identity is what makes you unique and distinct amongst others. It is a huge part of who you are as a person and when you chose an outfit that says “this will do”, that is what you are reflecting to others which is the way you are feeling now about yourself.

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As mothers, it’s completely normal to feel that by going shopping for new clothes you are being vain or selfish to spend on yourself. But what’s important is that once in a while you do spend some time and money on you. Just because you’re a mum doesn’t mean that you should lose your sense of style and identity.

Here are some of my tips for helping you rediscover your personal style and identity with clothes that will make you feel confident and amazing about yourself:

1. Clarity The first thing you need to work out is how do you want to be perceived by others? Think about who you are as a person now and where you want to go. Describe in 3 words, what your image says about you now and then 3 words of what you would like your image to be.

2. Dress for your body shape As time goes by our shape may change. For those of you who have faced a major body shape change, get acquainted with your shape no matter what it is. Love your beautiful body and learn how to dress for it. Think about highlighting your assets and camouflaging those parts of your body you don’t like as much.

3. Have a supportive wardrobe Your wardrobe should be a place where you always keep positive energy. It is the place where you are going every day and creating yourself. If you have a wardrobe full of clothes that no longer fit, are out of style, don’t represent who you are anymore, have never been worn, or represent a sad or angry memory, then you need to remove those items that simply no longer serve you any purpose except transmitting a negative energy every time you see them.

Style Identity 4. Look Book To save you time every morning on what to wear each day, get creative and take a little time one day to create lots of outfits. I suggest layingy each outfit on your bed or somewhere with a neutral background and taking photos of each different outfit. Create looks with different pieces and keep them on your phone so it is easier to go back for a reference and get dressed in the morning. As an example grab a pair of jeans and put it with 3 different tops, blazers, scarfs, jewellery or shoes.

Create 3 different looks; these can be casual, smart casual or dressy for a night out. If you do this with some of your key pieces, you will find that you will start having lots of outfits from just a few pieces of clothing.

Eliana Colimodio, Personal Stylist, Style By Eliana www.stylebyeliana.com Eliana empowers women who have experienced a major change to shine and feel confident through easy and fun styling solutions.

Eliana is available for oneon-one personal styling consultations across Melbourne.

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A FRESH TAKE ON SPRING As we welcome the warmer temperatures, lighter nights and we start to feel that spring in our step again we know its time to take a fresh look at our makeup bags and think about giving our makeup a seasonal update.

Here’s my tips for a modern and fresh take for spring make up:

Lighten up This is a great time of year to take a break from the heavier bases we tend to go for in winter.

It’s time to forgo the heavy contouring and use strategically placed highlighter for shape and lift. Highlighter lifts the face by bouncing light off the high points of the face so even without any other make up highlighter can give you a really modern take on the sculpted face. Key areas to highlight: temples, tops of cheekbones, bow of the lip, down the centre of the nose, inner corner of eyes and the collarbones.

Highlighter sticks are super easy to use and makes application a dream…try 3ell People BioBrightener stick for an eco-conscious injection of shimmer.

The Power Pout Team your fresh and luminous skin with a power pout. Don’t be afraid of a strong or bright lip. With many of us mums running our own businesses, juggling work and home life, tired mums with sleepless nights or just feeling like you need a pick me up the bright lip is the ultimate distraction, confidence boosting makeup technique. If you aren’t used to wearing lipstick start off with a lip stain and build up to getting used to seeing yourself wearing colour on your lips. I love a bright Fuchsia (blue toned pink) or an orangey red to really wake up the face! Try LouLou Lips in Nemesis or Aurora both available through my website.

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Try Cream Formulas If you haven’t dabbled in cream products for makeup you are missing a treat! Cream eyeshadows are so easy to use, super blendable and have great staying power for lasting throughout the day. You can choose a sheer shimmery finish to a matte finish in fact a cream matte eyeshadow is much easier to blend than it’s powder counterpart and are a good choice if you are worried about fine lines and wrinkles. Try the MAC Paint Pots or Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream eyeshadows.

Cream bronzers and blushers are gorgeous as they add more moisture to the skin helping to plump the skin up. Ensure to apply cream over cream and not powder as you will find your makeup separates or looks lumpy.

Brushed up brows We seem to have fallen into a trap that society (or Instagram!) has told us we need to define our brows but we are often choosing the wrong colours and making our brows too dark which also means ageing! When we look to the catwalk for modern makeup inspiration brows are rarely pencilled in more likely you will see brushed up brows either with a soft shadow brushed through or single brow hairs expertly applied by make up artists hair by hair. With time of the essence us mamas don’t generally have time for this but try opting for cooler lighter shade for brow definition or try the brow mascaras that can set the brows up and add some colour. I particularly like the Benefit Gimme Brow which adds colour and volume to the brow.

MAKEUP Rose Gold, Coppers & Corals Are you obsessed with rose gold for your jewellery, phone case, handbag? Why should your makeup be any different? Seriously though warm toned pinks, rose gold and coppers look beautiful on many skin tones, compliment most eye colours and are perfect for spring/summer as we all become more bronzed. Palettes such as Urban Decay Smokey 3 or it cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol.2 The Romantics have a lovely selection of complimentary colours for creating a seamless look. For a monochromatic look choose a coral lip for your power pout and add a metallic highlight by adding a touch of your copper/golden toned eyeshadow to your cupids bow.

Spring is a great time to try something new and embrace new beginnings. Makeup is about fun and doing something to make you look and feel better. Have fun with it and don’t think about ‘the rules’ too much if it feels good then it will look good and thats the most important thing!

Amy Hughes is a professional makeup artist and beauty writer at www.madeoverandme.com where she blogs a mixture of beauty, mummy ramblings & real life.

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Little dreamers I am the mother of 2 children. A pigeon pair. Girl and boy.

I always believed I could be a good mum. But over the years since having children, I have doubted myself many times.

Was I giving my children equal attention?

Was I keeping them safe and well? Were they happy?

My son has asthma and epilepsy. He has had encephalitis, pneumonia and whooping cough (because he was allergic to the immunisation).

My daughter is a young carer. You may not know what a young carer is, but I bet you know one. A ‘young carer’ helps a family member who may have a disability, mental illness or chronic illness. These incredible kids help to care for their sibling or parent; and complete tasks that are way beyond their years, including emotional and practical support.

My daughter was nearly 3 when her brother was born. By the time he was 6 months he was in hospital the first time. Since then she has waited for the ambulance many times, sat next to him in the car as he has a seizure and spent countless hours with him in hospital. At home she often did her homework by torchlight and knew to lift her chair rather than scrape it on the floor to not make any noise.

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Our daughter had lots of friends but was still socially isolated. We didn’t know the term young carer then, but we knew her life was not the ‘norm’. She played with her dolls, loved dressing up and dancing. She also helped get her brother’s medicine while I held him; sat with him so I could shower; and would walk past his room and check his breathing while he slept.

My daughter grew up quickly, mature and responsible, but also anxious and insecure.

When she was at school and her brother was home sick, she worried. Was he okay? Was he going to go to hospital? Would he be at home when she got home? She craved attention and as parents we have always felt pulled between wanting to give attention to both our children, who both needed us so desperately.

As my daughter got older, she understood more. She became a teenager, hung out with her friends and left her room in a mess. She also stayed home to look after her brother when I worked, continually checking on him, giving him medicine and reading to him. Now she is the first with her keys if we need to rush him to the doctor or hospital. Now she visits him in hospital with special gifts, including things to make him laugh. She knows just what he likes and what works.

My daughter even founded an organisation called Little Dreamers Australia to support other brothers and sisters of sick kids. When she began at 16 years old it was a side hobby, now it is her full time job and her mission is to improve the emotional and physical health, wellbeing and resilience of Young Carers to ensure that caring is a responsibility shared

by Government, community and family. She believes in creating the things that she wished existed when she was younger, and being the role model for other Young Carers that she didn’t have.

Little Dreamers has supported over 500 Young Carers throughout Australia and runs a number of different programs and one massive Young Carers Festival in October every year to thank Young Carers and raise awareness about how hidden this at risk group in the community can be.

While my daughter runs the business, when asked why she does it she always looks back to her brother. He is her daily inspiration and the reason she pushes so hard at what she does – so the brothers and sisters of sick kids can be the best support for their families but also for themselves. She is a big advocate of making sure a carer takes care of themselves too – even though she is not the best at doing that herself!

My children are now best mates, share their own personal language and jokes. They laugh, fight and gang up on us. My son loves to sit on his sister’s bed at night when we have gone to bed and confide in his big sister.

We made it and I think we did okay!

Find out more about Maddy and the team’s amazing work at www.littledreamersonline.com Little Dreamers.... where Young Carers are valued by the wider community, empowered by their caring role and supported to achieve better emotional health and wellbeing.

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super quick beauty You know when you’re a mum and someone makes the comment “you look exhausted” and you think to yourself “Is this my permanent post-child face now? Am I going to look this tired forever?” The short answer is no. Maybe the first few years, yes, but slowly and surely you will feel and look fresher, brighter and more awake!

In the meantime you could try out these quick beauty tips: If you only have time for one make-up item in the morning choose mascara... it not only brightens up the eye area but it can make you look like you’ve actually had a good night’s sleep.

Wearing a hint of lip colour or gloss will instantly brighten your whole face (it will also take the focus off the bags under your eyes...

BONUS!).

I highly recommend an exfoliant. Not only does it rid the face of dead skin cells but you instantly look fresher after using it (and exfoliating only needs to be done 3-4 times a week depending on skin type).

I always think to myself I really took advantage of that ‘glow’ I used to have pre-kids. Then it’s like I blinked and woke up one day looking dull. One word. BRONZER. It’s my all time fave beauty product. One quick sweep of bronzer is all you need to make you look like you’ve got that pre-kid summertime glow going on.

Dry shampoo is your best friend!

Two pillows are better than one. This one’s super easy. Sleeping on two pillows helps reduce puffiness in the face, especially around your eyes.

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The old cucumber on the eyes trick—there’s a reason this beauty trick has been around for decades—it actually works. If bubs is snoozing chuck some cucumbers on your eyes and have a lay down... even 10mins will reduce tired looking eyes.

Mineral spring water spray. Avene do a lovely one. I spray this on my face every day. Not only is it great for sensitive skin it also freshens, tones and decreases puffiness instantly. They also make a handbag size which you can chuck in your nappy bag. Just spray some on when you’re in a flustered mummy mess (we all have those moments) and let the calming freshness do its job!

Master the messy bun. What mum has time to do her hair in the morning? If you can learn to master the ‘messy bun look’ it can look like you’ve actually made an effort when you haven’t.

And if you literally have zero time for yourself daily (new mummas this is definitely for you) try to go and get your eyebrows and eyelashes tinted. This can make a world of difference. You don’t need to do anything to maintain it and you should get a good 3-4 weeks out of it.

Lastly let’s be honest, there are some days where you don’t care what you look like and feel the world is even lucky you got out of your PJs, and that’s OK, but remember a little self pampering always makes us feel a little better.

Right?!

By Courtney Forrest, Owner, Laguna Tan & Make-up Newport facebook.com/LagunaTanMakeUp

WIN

the new album from The Wiggles’ Emma or Lachy!

The “Dial E for Emma” and “Lachy!” albums are out on October 7 through ABC Kids and Universal Music, on CD and all digital services, and mama is a bit excited about new their new tunes!

We’ve got 3 of each of these awesome albums to be won, so simply select your album below and post us your best Wiggles

See www.mamamag.com.au for terms and conditions. Parent’s email will be added to our monthly MamaMail. You can opt out at any time.

colouring in!

Emma

Lachy

Post your entry by October 31st to: MamaMag, PO Box 8018 North Road LPO, Brighton East 3187.

Child’s name:

Age:

Parent’s name: Email: Address:

Postcode: 45

No fragrances, soaps or other irritants

Girl Lane supports the natural function of the skin with natural and botanical ingredients.

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S K I N CA R E • B O DYCA R E • H A I R CA R E

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TreeHaus is an Allied Health Clinic providing specialised therapies to individuals, couples, children and families.

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Group therapy also available

Medicare rebate available

9397 4499

www.treehauswilliamstown.com.au

2 Cox’s Garden Williamstown 3016

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LOCAL

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Like to advertise in MamaMag™? We are the only FREE monthly magazine for mums and families that has local publications in Melbourne’s East, South (Bayside), North and West, giving you the opportunity to target almost 100,000+ readers per month.

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Visitstandards www.mamamag.com.au download full quantity Mediaprinted Kit for four magazines is 40,000 copies. + Industry estimate print publications are to viewed 2.4 times per our copy. Total

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Live Local - Shop Local - and don’t forget to mention MamaMag!

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Chris Humfrey’s

ZOOKEEPER EXPERIENCE!

Spend a whole day with zoologist Chris Humfrey from ABC’s hit series “Chris Humfrey’s Wild Life!”

Work at his very own private zoo, and learn from Chris himself! Get up close and personal with over 2000 animals!

Discover what drives Chris to work with animals.

Who knows your child could follow in his footsteps!

This is an exceptional hands-on experience, which is offered nowhere else.

Chris has personally designed this exclusive program.

Strictly limited numbers of children will ensure that your child will get the WILD experience which they CRAVE! Chris’ zoo is nestled in the foothills of Mount Macedon.

It’s an easy 50 minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD.

GREAT GIFT IDEA!

Bookings and Enquiries www.wildaction.com.au Phone 0419 385 245