Westside MamaMag April/May 2019 by MamaMag

WESTSIDE

mamaMAG Apr/May 2019

WIN A FAMILY HOLIDAY TO NORTH STAR HOLIDAY RESORT Home & holidays Catriona Rowntree Babymoon dreaming Bali mumcation Indoor plant ideas

free Local fun for the Westside mum 1

PLACES STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2019 Little Flyers Learning Centres bring together the very best in early childhood education and care. We nurture, guide and encourage every child (from six weeks to six years) to learn about themselves and each other. They gain skills that will last a lifetime. It’s excellence in education that is both engaging and fun. Our full-day kindergarten programme combined with the flexibility of 1 – 5 days make it even easier for you to ensure your child has the very best care and education.

OPEN DAYS & TOURS Saturday 22 June 2019 9.00am – 1.00pm

Saturday 29 June 2019 10.00am – 1.00pm

Friday 21 June 2019 5.30 – 8.00pm

Saturday 15 June 2019 10.00am – 1.00pm

Call for a personal tour

Level 4, 544-546 Collins Street Ph. 9614 3011

9 Bulimba Drive Ph. 9717 8074

35 Flaxens Hill Road Ph. 9717 3741

VISIT US AT: littleflyers.vic.edu.au

Level 3, 600 Collins Street Ph. 9629 4099

1, The Crossing Ph. 9363 7622

296 Ryans Road Ph. 9431 4947

You can also contact any one of our Centres to organise a personal tour at your convenience.

HOLIDAY HEROES Home + Holiday issue. I love this theme! Two topics I absolutely adore. What has been your favourite holiday with the kids? I love hearing holiday stories! My kids and I haven’t had a great deal of big holiday adventures (yet) but I was lucky enough to sneak in a trip to Italy and a ‘mumcation’ to Bali (check out my write up) last year without them and both trips were so fabulous! I did just book a holiday to Port Douglas for the three of us in June though. Yippee!! This issue I was lucky enough to chat with the Victorian Queen of travel (I made that up!) Catriona Rowntree. This clever mama (she’s got two gorgeous boys) has just released a book about cruising, so if that’s on your family bucket list, it’s a really great read. She shares some of her favourite travels with us inside this issue plus a bit about her wonderful country Victorian home she shares with her ‘farmer boy’! She’s an absolute delight (and a fan of MamaMag, naturally!). It’s been a fun two months seeing out the end of what was a glorious summer. One highlight was featuring in a photoshoot for Beach Club Clothing. Yep, Mama got her model on! Beach Club have some super cool Autumn/ Winter pieces coming through at the moment and I’ve got my eye on that stunning grey coat I’m wearing up there in the first pic! It’s soft, long, flowy and fabulous! Keep an eye out on their socials for my big debut!! I was also lucky enough to spend a stunning Summer’s night with my MamaMag team, Clare and Olivia, at the St Kilda Twilight Polo in Feb. These two legends are my sales guns and make me laugh in the office 3 days a week! We had such a super night and yes, we did see a couple of horses in amongst the drinks and Tommy Collins yumminess! We also snuck in an impressive tour of the MCG and the National Sports Museum, which is choc-full of incredible sports memorabilia, medals and history of Australian sports heroes. It was such a buzz to see parts of the MCG not normally accessible. Highly recommend a visit these school holidays (if you’re not travelling somewhere fabulous that is!). Happy Home + Holidays!!

@localmamamag

Local fun for everyone • Bayside • Eastside • Northside • Westside

WIN

Contents Dream of a babymoon

One last getaway

Parklife 8 Atherstone, Melton South

Cruisy Catriona

Catriona Rowntree’s travels

Do you need to sell?

Valued at $1,430

The Block’s Nicole Jacobs’ new book

Which bed is right?

Selecting a child’s bed

What mama wants

Mother’s Day gift ideas

Fabulous foilage

5 indoor plant winners

Mumcation 20 Escaping to Bali for some fun

Hacks to a cheap holiday

Get the most bang for your buck

Mama can cook

Jacqueline Alwill winners

A Quick spin

The history of laundry

More time for fun

Bringing family fun back

Lovely locals

Rose Street, Essendon

Into interiors

Interior stylist Nicole Rosenberg

Turn the page

Mama’s top book picks

Happiness and health

Find this at you childcare centre

Home hunting

Top 5 tips to find your dream family home

Resolution to run

Discover parkrun

Get crafty

Lani te Hennepe from The Bali Bible

MamaMag Apr/May 2019

Prize is 5 nights accomodation for a family of 4 in a Tuscany Suite.

Entries are open to Victorian residents only. Competition starts April 1st 12.01am and closes April 30th 2019 at 11.59pm. Accomodation voucher valid for 12 months from the date of issue; This voucher is not redeemable for cash and is non-transferable; Prize is to be used as one single holiday stay; This voucher not to be used during school holidays; Public Holidays or special events; This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount offer. Visit www.mamamag.com.au/competitions for full terms and conditions.

For resort information visit www.northstar.com.au

MamaMag® is published bi-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 | www.grizzledesign.com.au

12,500 copies per issue distributed bi-monthly across Melbourne’s West with 50,000 copies in total across all four MamaMag areas: Bayside • Eastside • Northside • Westside. Editor in Chief: Sarah Cavalier sarah@mamamag.com.au Westside Editor: Rebecca Gelsi Westside Advertising Manager: Olivia Wilson: olivia@mamamag.com.au

Melbourne-wide Key Account Manager: Clare Betts: clare@mamamag.com.au

Want to write for us or have an article idea? submissions@mamamag.com.au

Puffing Billy family passes

Mum’s bible to bali

Enter at https://woobox.com/oopw6h or www.facebook.com/localmamamag

Create your own small camping world

Colour to WIN

WIN a 5 night family stay at North Star Holiday Resort on the Tweed Coast, NSW!

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.

dream of a BABYMOON? Cue romantic music, gourmet indulgences (sans alcohol, cured meats and soft cheese), a pile of books (and no, I don’t mean pregnancy books or baby bibles!) and the thought of waking up groggy with the late morning sun on your bed… But what about your other kids? As a mum of three, I’ve reached day-two on a few family holidays and wondered why we’ve bothered. The washing doesn’t stop, the sleeping can get worse and being away can make meals more complicated. We’ve always holidayed together before a new baby. In fact, my husband and I didn’t even have a date night when pregnant with our third child. While we were so excited about meeting our little girl and starting the next chapter of our family life, we also wanted to cherish every last moment of the previous chapter with our two boys. For mum of three Sally Kane, having an adultonly babymoon was an absolute necessity. “I’d had a really rough start to my third pregnancy with serious health concerns. We really needed to regroup, sleep and spend time as a couple.” The timing also coincided with a milestone birthday for Sally’s husband, Richard. An important consideration in deciding to babymoon alone or as a family (sometimes called a “familymoon”) or do both, is your older children.

“While expecting a new baby is exciting for big siblings, it is also a time of considerable change in their lives. Children can feel displaced and worry about being left out,” says paediatric occupational therapist, Debbie Isaac. Debbie recommends that parents minimise changes that affect their older children, particularly later in the pregnancy, but doesn’t rule out parents getting away as a couple earlier on. If your kids are familiar with being left with Granny and Pa, they probably won’t blink when you head off again. Sally and Richard took their five-night adult-only getaway in Byron Bay when Sally’s parents could stay in their house. “Grannie Annie and Pops have looked after the boys many times and the boys absolutely adore them. They kept to the school and kinder routine as usual.” The Kane’s also visited Samoa as a family while pregnant. They chose Samoa because it was a new destination for them and they wanted the holiday to be memorable. They spent time together swimming, sailing boats, hunting for crabs and snorkelling. The family also used the kid’s club a few times so Sally and Richard could rest, read and enjoy couple time. A familymoon can also help prepare your children for the new baby. Parents can spend more time with the kids, which can help reinforce how special they are and create lifelong memories. Parents can also talk about the baby coming and take a big brother or sister book to read together too.

By Lauren Gardiner. Lauren’s book, baby + me, is available for purchase from selected stockists and online at www.memobooks.com.au.

Here are my top five tips for an “all-aboard” babymoon: 1. Identify your wants (and needs!) as individuals, as a couple and as a family Do you need rest? A romantic dinner? A day spa? The beach/swimming? An adventure? To chill together as a family? Plan so it happens: • Choose the right destination and accommodation with the facilities on site or in proximity (kid’s club, nanny service, pool, beach etc). • Agree to share the getting up and sleeping in/kid duties. • Use technology for a lie-in together (yes, you’re on holidays, so some TV for the kids is okay). • Plan meals. It’s often impractical to dine out frequently with young children, and it’s not ideal to spend day-one of your holiday dragging the kids around the local supermarket. Order groceries online to arrive soon after you do – food and snacks are key to happy kids!

2. Add some great family activities! Swimming is my number one favourite family activity on holidays. Even if not all children are competent swimmers, the toddler in your arms is lighter in the water!

Adding picnic food and a coffee to a trip to the playground is my number two! We visited the Nelson region of New Zealand when pregnant with our second child and spent every morning at a sunny local playground with coffees in hand.

3. Routines stay “king” Stick with normal meal and sleep times as much as possible as kids like certainty. Changing time zones and long flights can play havoc with routines so consider this when choosing your holiday destination.

4. Get your timing right (for mum and the kids) Your doctor can advise when it’s safest to travel while pregnant. Also consider when you will get the most out of the holiday - many women feel very tired in the third trimester. Airlines also have pregnancy requirements to be mindful of. As minimising disruption is most important for older siblings closer to the birth, consider holidaying earlier on in the pregnancy.

5. Be grateful for the little things No school/kinder/childcare drop-offs, no lunches and no cooking – hooray! Sunshine and fresh air – yippee! An “all-aboard” babymoon can be happy (and restful) for all! Happy travels!

ParklIfe ATHERSTONE, MELTON SOUTH Just 40kms west of the city and part of the fabulous new Lendlease Atherstone Estate, is the Bridge Road Regional Play Space, a huge, fully fenced new playground, perfect for kids of all ages. It sits right next door to the Bridge Road Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Community Centre and the Melton City Little Athletics club, so there is never any shortage of kids enjoying all that there is to offer here.

pit and in-ground mini-tramps. There are also lots of natural play elements including a sensory garden and a fun water pump flowing down a man-made creek, as well as fun custom play elements such as climbing walls in natural rock. Along the road side is a large walkway that offers great views of the park, with fireman poles at the top for the more daring and more climbing walls underneath.

The play space was designed with the input of local kindergarten and primary school children and their parents who provided insight into how children play, interact, discover, socialise and learn so it ticks many boxes.

There are nice clean BBQ facilities with lovely new shade structures to dine under and the park even has free wifi, not that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever need technology at such a fun play space.

The play space includes a variety of equipment including a fantastic flying fox, basket swing, in-ground spinner, swings, a slide into a sand

Bridge Road Regional Play Space, Melton South.

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Access to North Star’s massive waterpark with pools and super slides heated to a warm 28˚C. A range of activities, entertainment and family fun nights over the winter school holidays.

FREE Kids Club on weekends and daily during school holidays. Use of Seascape Leisure Centre, a serene escape where adults can enjoy a heated 25-metre lap pool, gym, spa and sauna.

1 Tweed Coast Road, Hastings Point NSW Call 1800 645 790 or book online at www.northstar.com.au

CruIsy CatrIona Originally from Sydney, 10 years ago our favourite TV travel mama, Catriona Rowntree, fell in love with a Victorian farmer, and the rest is history! New town, new love, kids, so much change! But what hasn’t changed since she started juggling farm life and motherhood (she’s got 2 beautiful boys) is her passion for travel and her 23-year career as a presenter on Channel Nine’s Getaway.

Firstly, tell us a little bit about your family/kids and where you call home. You can’t pick where a cupid’s arrow will strike, and this city chick fell for a hot farmer when I least expected it. We live on a beautiful sheep and grain property just outside of Melbourne, that I’ve turned into a little slice of Tuscany with a dash of Provence thrown in. Big red geraniums and lots of lavender will do that. My boys have no idea how fortunate they are to grow up with such a whopping big back garden. They’re both the absolute loves of my life, I feel like I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, due to their love. Both are chatterboxes, but bizarrely so different. Andrew physically can’t sit down. Has to kick a ball, compete at everything and move at one hundred miles an hour, yet is so cuddly with me. Phew. Charlie is me, loves to shop, loves a museum, loves to read, we are just so happy in each other’s company. Did I mention he loves to shop? Did I hit the jackpot or what? When we go to his favourite place, Melbourne Museum (he calls it ‘Melvin’s Museum’) he says ‘Mum, priorities, we start at the gift shop.’ Now that’s a boy of my own heart. Andrew on the other hand, when I asked him what gift he’d like me to bring home from the Cook Islands he said ‘nothing Mum, oh, maybe bring home a coconut.’ He has the $2 coconut by his bed as we speak. Nuts...coconuts!

You’ve been described as Australia’s best-travelled woman. Explain how you’ve juggled it all since the boys were born. Well I thought my career would be over once I moved away from Head Office and started 10

breeding. But technology has changed all that and my boss said ‘as long as you can get to an airport I don’t care where you live.’ So I’ve forced myself to become organised (not a natural trait) and every work request is met with a simple question to my husband ‘does this work for our family?’ If my children are surrounded by love and their routine stays the same then I can dip in and out to travel. Oh, and as long as I come home with LEGO, my boys are happy.

What is your all-time favourite holiday destination? I’ve always gone to Hamilton Island for work and now I take my children. They just love all the activities, ‘keep ‘em busy’ I say. I think we do tend to like the water and by jay (I mean joy) can be found skiing down a mountain or by the beach, but with children I just need to keep them occupied and give them lots of cuddles.

You’ve recently released a new book, The Best of World Cruising, featuring the top 40 ocean and river cruise destinations around the world. What’s the best cruise you’ve done with the kids? My children love a cruise in all its varied forms. We hired a Halvorsen at Easter and explored the Hawkesbury, my Bucket List trip was taking them on The True North to experience The Kimberley (‘its Barra-dise mum!’) and they loved island hopping around the Exumas, part of The Bahamas, where they swam with both pigs and sharks, random I know.

We really want to sample a Disney cruise too, that’s on our a bucket list. You see there’s a cruise for every budget, every interest, that’s why I had to write a book on it to make it easier to choose!

How long did the book take to put together? It is certainly jam packed full of fabulous information. A solid year and it was hell. It doesn’t come naturally to me to sit for hours and be quiet to write. The cruise part was easy, the writing - a wrench. I also reached out to fellow travellers who I admire to share their tips. Sir Richard Branson, Wendy Wu, Livinia Nixon. They’re just nutty about travel and loved sharing their stories.

Number one rule when packing for a holiday… Don’t take away anything you’d be upset to lose, the pain of loss lingers. Also, don’t pack anything that crushes, take a photo on your phone of your luggage in case you lose it, take half of what you think you need (more shopping space) always nick the plastic shower cap at hotels. Great to cover dirty shoes in your suitcase or a wet cozzie when you can’t resist that last swim.

I never board a plane without… Something to read. You lose your mind when your battery dies and it gives you a legitimate reason to not talk to the over sharer sitting next to you!!

Dream destination? Endless and ever added to. I’d love to see the cherry blossoms of Japan, take my children to swim with whale sharks, experience The Palio in Siena. This is why is still adore my job, the Bucket List is infinite.

And finally, care to share with us a funny parenting story? My mother in law bought my children guinea pigs, which we all know means I had to care for them. I went away for a quick trip, we had a cold snap and sadly Harold and Henry kicked the bucket. I arrived home and asked my son ‘where did they go?’ And he pointed to the sky and said ‘I’m sorry Mum, they’ve gone up to Kevin’s.’ Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or just starting, let Catriona fill you in on everything you should know before stepping on board in her new book ‘The Best of World Cruising’, published by Hardie Grant. RRP $35.00. 11

Do You Need to Sell? Unless you are a first home buyer or looking at entering the investment market, you are probably going to have to sell the home you are in now before you can make a move. Or are you? There are important decisions to be made. Do you love everything about where you live apart from, for example, the fact you have outgrown it? Perhaps it will make more sense financially and for your lifestyle to simply upgrade the home you are in now. If you have explored this option and it just is not going to work out, it is time to find the right agent: a person who is going to work hard for you.

Before you decide to sell If you find yourself thinking about selling but looking around your home and imagining how much you will miss it, do a little bit of research first. Of course, there are going to be times when the problems you have with a home or apartment cannot be fixed with a renovation, and other times moves are dictated by changes in circumstance or a shift to another city for work. If there is any chance your much-loved abode can be updated, it is time to call in the experts. Adding another room or two or building up to turn a single-level home into a two-storey one might seem like an expensive option. But once you price how much extra you will have to pay for the house of your dreams, then add on the costs of moving, the stamp duty and the fees to sell the home you are in, it could start to seem like a simpler and more effective option.

To upgrade your home or move? Before you call in the design experts, you should have your property valued by a professional. Especially if you have been living there for a few years, chances are your homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth has changed quite a bit and it is important to get an independent valuation. Once you have a proper idea of what you are dealing with, set a budget. If your property is valued at $800,000 and spending $100,000 will give you the perfect home, that is great; if it is valued at $300,000 you will not want to spend nearly that much. Take a look around your local neighbourhood and see if there is a ceiling value. You certainly do not want to create a milliondollar property in a suburb where most homes sell for $650,000. To a certain extent you can be more flexible on budget and the types of improvements you are making when you are upgrading the family home and you will be living there for several more years. Spending a little bit more than you could make back if you had to sell immediately is unlikely to be a disaster, since you are going to be living there, you hope, for quite a few years to come. Chances are you will have a few ideas of how an expansion or upgrade might work, but you will also likely be surprised by some of the ideas that an architect or builder can bring to the party. Tell them what you are thinking, listen to what they tell you, then make some decisions. Remember that, even if you feel as though you may want to live in this updated dream home forever and ever, you still should never overcapitalise (spend more money than you could ever make back). Living in Melbourne, you might spend a lot of money on a pool that is only useful for a few months of the year and

that does not recoup its cost when you come to sell. It ends up being an expensive water feature. Potential buyers may also see it as a high-maintenance, high-cost feature and cross your place off their list of options or factor in the cost to fill it in if they cannot see the point of it. Weigh these costs up. If your family will use it and you want it and can afford it, great. If you are renovating for profit, then you need to make sure you can get your money back—and more—to justify the expense. The most important thing for you to do when you are making updates is to set a budget (do not forget to include the cost of a rental property if you need to move out during construction) and a schedule of works. The best way to ensure you do not overcapitalise is to stick to your budget and be prepared to make some compromises if you are seeking high-end fixtures and fittings. Again it comes down to how long you will be living there and whether you are renovating to stay or renovating to move on. This is an edited extract from SOLD! How to buy and sell your home with real confidence, by Nicole Jacobs, and is published by Hardie Grant. RRP $29.99. Nicole Jacobs is a property expert on Channel 9’s The Block, licensed REIV estate agent, founder and director of Nicole Jacobs Property and a Melbourne mum of three girls!

Not so long ago, I had the privilege of looking for and acquiring a home for clients who had decided to downsize and move to St Kilda. Moving from a big home with a garden to a large townhouse seemed to be exactly what our clients wanted to do, almost a sea change and a lifestyle change too. However nine months later they came to see me and expressed that they thought they had made the wrong decision. They longed for a backyard again and a place where they could potter over the plants and herbs and just ‘be’ in their space together. I arranged to visit them in their new home to discuss potential options. The first option was to coordinate their sale with a local agent and then to search for and acquire another home. This, as I explained, would be their most expensive option with fees, stamp duty and moving costs, not to mention the stress that goes with these processes. The second option was to improve the existing house to suit them better. The large courtyard and front garden spaces were crying out for attention, and the internals, which were great, could be made better just by furniture choices and other cosmetic enhancements-! I coordinated an interior stylist and a landscape gardener to quote on these enhancements. Most of the money would be spent internally on furniture and artwork, light fittings and floor coverings, meaning that, if they then decided to move on, a lot of it would go with them then anyway. With a budget and a new spring in their step to enhance the property and realise their original plans, they were excited once again about their new home. Had they not thought about and revisited their plans, they could have spent good money moving on and never realised the original potential they saw in this home. This example shows that it is not always about moving on when your home feels as though you have outgrown it, or it no longer serves the purpose you had originally had for it.

WHICH BED IS RIGHT? When it comes time to choosing a new bed for your child, many parents make the mistake of buying for the “now” and not the future. Selecting the right bed and mattress for your child is key to ensuring they get the best sleep and hours required for brain function and growth. Here are some ideas from interior stylist Melissa Gullifer at Focus on Furniture that can help you select the best bed for your growing child: Keep it simple. Over-complicated styling is unnecessary as children grow up so quickly and their tastes change as they transition through their childhood years. Don’t go out and buy your three-year-old daughter an expensive princess bed because in three to four year’s time she will go off it and want something else. Be practical and think about a timeless bed option in a simple colour, or a timber bed frame, or upholstered bed. You can add variety with new quilt covers as your child grows into a new phase. Space. Think about how much space you have in your child’s bedroom and consider their current height and growth in the future. Is there enough room for a king single, double, or queen bed or only a single? Also consider beds with built-in storage if you are limited with space. The Tex single bed has nifty built in drawers and shelves, perfect for storing books and toys. Can two bedsides fit this space, or one? Will they need a desk or reading nook to nourish their little brains?

Their bedroom should be designed around the idea of a personal little sanctuary; somewhere they can sleep, rest and play. Test and rest. Help your child create their dream bedroom and give them the full bed testing experience by shopping with them in store. They will love it. Test out suitable beds and mattresses, and sit with them on the bed. Is it comfortable? Will it stand the test of time for your child? Think about how many years you want your child to keep this bed. There’s no need to spend a fortune on a good quality mattress. Budget. Have your budget set and do your research. Good quality beds do not need to break the bank. Decide on the important features your child needs, for example, single or double bed, two bedside tables or just one and don’t forget to add in a quality mattress. Stick to your budget and enjoy the process! Focus on Furniture specialises in producing stylish furniture for an affordable price. For inspiration and ideas, visit: www.focusonfurniture.com.au

what mama Feel free to wants drop a hint! Facing Motherhood Wake Me Up Collection - $65 Daily coffee quota reached and still lookin’ like a Mombie? This collection is designed for ridiculously tired, coffee lovin’ Mamas. Includes `ESPRESS yo self - Eye cream and `Boom MOCHA laka - Face n’ bod exfoliant. The only bag you need to worry about is your nappy bag! facingmotherhood.com.au

The essential guide to travelling Australia on a budget $44.75 Want to take the kids camping but know if you leave it up to hubby it won’t be what you want? This new travel book will help you find hidden spots only the locals know, without blowing the bank. Features 1,500 free activities and sights, and 1,500 free camp sites across Australia, including waterfalls, swimming holes, museums, zoos, playgrounds, galleries, parks, wildlife encounters and gardens. www.booktopia.com.au 16 16

Shanghai Suzy lipstick $19.95 Vegan, Cruelty-Free and made in Melbourne with love! We love the colour ‘Petal’, infused with avocado oil, jojoba seed oil and shea butter to moisturise lips in Winter. Available at www. shanghaisuzy.com, in Myer and in over 700 independent boutiques and salons.

Mothaeyr’s D Crumpler Zircon backpack - $99 Who says backpacks have to be boring and featureless? This baby is an absolute eye catcher with plenty of room for everything and a large internal slip pocket and small zippered side pocket which means your phone and things won’t get lost. www.crumpler.com/au

Onne Beauty Travel Pack - $79 ONNE was created by Melbourne based Carlia Ashton after suffering with her own skin issues. Guaranteed to be free of synthetic chemicals, petroleum-derived ingredients, synthetic preservatives, GMOs, parabens, and sulphates and animal testing, it’s perfect to keep your skin on track when travelling. www.onnebeauty.com

Peninsula Hotsprings graze and bath package $95

3 Pears Birds of Paradise cushion $159

Grab the girls and head down the Peninsula for the day to enjoy geothermal bathing, a grazing platter featuring local produce and a glass of wine! Perfect. Available mon-fri. www.peninsulahotsprings.com

3 pears celebrates art, whether it is a piece that draws your eye across a room in a luxurious setting or a child reacting to the colour and image that brings them immediate happiness. Melbourne designer Fiona Potter’s designs are both unique and beautiful. 3pears.com.au

Modibodi classic bikini $29.95 Have you tried Aussie brand Modibodi yet? Say goodbye to tampons and pads with these super absorbent briefs. From periods and discharge, light bladder leakage and weak pelvic floors, to perspiration and pong, they’ve got your back! The signature Classic Bikini is the perfect style for every day or perhaps choose something from their Sensual range! www.modibodi.com

Cartel & Willow Kahlo shirt dress Red & pink leopard - $109

Might Purse Geo Bag - $209.95 Look good and keep your phone charged at the same time! The Geo, like all their bags, features a concealed slimline battery to charge your smart phone on the go. Mighty-purse.com

Melbourne based Cartel & Willow are certainly turning heads. This super cute rayon dress is so easy to wear and leopard is so hot right now! www. cartelandwillow.com 17

FABULOUS FOILAGE There’s nothing like a trip away to relax, rejuvenate and refresh. That said, holidays might not always be attainable for everybody - heck, we haven’t had one in what seems like forever. So, we’ve decided to help you bring the holiday into your home. Much like a trip abroad, indoor plants have been shown to boost your mood, help alleviate stress and improve air quality. Not only that, but they add so much colour and life to a space. So what are you waiting for? We’ve come up with a few suggestions for houseplants which are not only well suited to indoor life and easy to care for, but will add some major vacay vibes to your space.

Strelitzia Nicolai This white bird of paradise variety is the sibling of the orange-flowering type you see in outdoor gardens. The Nicolai has broader, larger leaves and the flowers are a lovely white and blue. This is a great statement plant as it will grow quite tall over time, but just make sure it has a sunny spot to live in.

Spathiphyllum Sensation The peace lily is no longer just the daggy plant your mum kept in the bathroom. This variety produces huge, soft, dark green foliage and can really transform a space. This guy will survive in lower light conditions but will really thrive in bright, indirect light.

Parlour palm This variety of palm is great for indoors because of its compact size and fuss-free care requirements. Because it doesn’t grow as tall, it hasn’t got the huge, thick stem you see on most palms, which means you can focus more on that lovely, feathery foliage.

Alocasia / Elephant Ear Most varieties of Alocasia/Elephant Ear are great for indoors, as long as you have a nice, bright spot for them. They can grow into beautiful, big plants over time, but are a rewarding plant to grow at any size. They’re a tiny bit more complex than most other houseplants, but one of our personal favourites.

Monstera Deliciosa This has probably been the trendiest houseplant of the last few years, and with good reason. It’s immensely satisfying to watch those beautiful, fenestrated leaves unfurl, and they’re one of the easiest plants to care for. Pop it in a bright spot, and watch it take over. We recommend staking this plant for support and to encourage it to grow upward as it matures. Just remember that when shopping for plants, it’s important to familiarise yourself with each plant’s specific light and water needs, to ensure that you can provide the right conditions for each one. That said, if you ever need plant support, we’re here to help! By Westsider’s Allyson (mum to two girls) and Lexi (she’s a dog mum if that counts!) from Plant Creepers. Find them on Facebook, Instagram and at www.plantcreepers.com.au

Autumn family fun in the Macedon Ranges Get the kids outdoors this autumn with a quick country escape to the Macedon Ranges. From vintage horse-drawn carriage rides, playing in autumn leaves, country pies and nature hikes, the Macedon Ranges is a treasure-trove of family-oriented activites.

PLUS

enter online to WIN a vintage horse drawn carriage ride!

See visitmacedonranges.com/mamaintheranges for ideas on what to see and do.

mama-catIon Mumcation. The new buzz word. Sounds fun right?! A mumcation is exactly what you might think it is. A holiday for mums, without your kids or partner. I also like to refer to it as “mums gone wild”! Well maybe that was just me on my mums’ trip to Bali. Your chosen mumcation might be a little more serene! US research shows that taking the time out to make sure our own needs are met is actually beneficial for our children. So if you’re not willing to do it for yourself, suck it up ladies and in the words of Robbie Williams; do it for the kids. I thought I’d test out the theory and jumped on-board a mums’ trip to Bali late last year with three other fab mums I’ve met through MamaMag. It wasn’t a relaxation retreat type trip, which Bali is certainly known for, but more of a wine, dine and sublime type affair. Six nights of fun and cocktails in the heart of Seminyak was just what mama needed! Here’s our stand-out locations and must-do’s, should you fancy doing the same!

1. Motel Mexicola This is my number-one go to and we had dinner here twice in the six days, we loved it so much! For 6 years this amazing, unique venue has been serving the best Mexican food (hello $3 tacos), to-die-for cocktails (I’m all over the Mohito), and features the most fabulous and eccentric Mexican decor, with neon lights galore. After dinner the music really gets pumping and you can dance the night away. motelmexicola.info

2. Sisterfields Breakfast after a fun night has to be taken at Sisterfields. They serve an all-day yummy brunch menu alongside excellent coffee from Sibling Espresso next door. Healthy options galore including some excellent smoothies. I couldn’t get enough of the Double-Date iced coffee with espresso, dates, ice and almond milk. sisterfields.com

3. Spring Spa No trip to Bali is complete without a pedicure and with Bali prices you should always go with the best. Spring Spa in top of Seminyak Square is simply stunning. All four of us lounged back in our comfy chairs while our feet were pampered and finished off in our fav colour. I trip to the spa really is the best girl’s day out! www.springspa.com

4. Revolver Espresso If you’re looking for the best coffee in town then look no further than Revolver. Quirky interior, excellent breakfast, but the best latte and iced-coffee around. revolverespresso.com 20

5. Tropicola Beach Club Move over Potato Head, there’s a new kid in town. We arrived at Tropicola, which opened last year, around midday and literally squealed in delight (we also didn’t leave till 9pm!!). This retro, visual feast (which is part of the Mexicola stable) provided quite literally the best day we’ve ever had (we may have also said this out loud about once every hour!). Situated opposite the beach next to the W Hotel, the location is stunning, the service was outstanding, and the food and drinks were incredible. But the vibe, the music, the staff getting us up to dance, every minute of being here was simply incredible and we’ve dreamed about going back ever since! Watch out for staff pouring tequila shots in your mouth pool-side! www.tropicola.info

6. Da Maria So it can’t all be party, party, party. On day 4 we popped out for a civilised lunch at Da Maria. This stunning Italian inspired restaurant looks like it was lifted straight out of a fancy Instagram feed. It was simply stunning and the food and wine were an equal match. They also have late night pizza and disco nights which we will most cretainly check out next time! damariabali.com

7. Ku De Ta Sunset drinks at Ku De Ta is a pretty special way to enjoy a night out with the girls. Like so many beach front locations, this bar has a great swimming pool to take a quick dip in, and it’s got a fabulous atmosphere. We tucked into pizzas and strawberry margaritas as we watched the sun go down on another perfect night in paradise. kudeta.com

8. Mrs Sippy Another spot high on the ‘Instagram-able’ list, and giving good old “Mr Potatohead” a run for his money, is Mrs Sippy. The big draw card here is the fun 5m diving platform that towers over the whole venue and provides endless excitement watching people drop into the deep aqua pool below. There is excellent music, food and fun to be had here and make sure you grab a day bed (minimum $100 spend which is easily covered with cocktails and food for the day!). www.mrssippybali.com

HACK YOUR WAY TO A CHEAPER HOLIDAY How to beat the travel companies at their own game and save money during the next school holidays

As any parent who’s tried to book a holiday knows, anything that’s travel-related becomes a lot more expensive during the school holidays.

companies, but you still get insurance cover in case of an accident, along with bonus roadside assistance.

Whether it’s car rentals, accommodation or airfares, service providers use the two-week break as an excuse to jack up their prices considerably, making it difficult for the average family to afford an interstate or overseas getaway. Demand also ratchets up the closer it gets to the break, so if you’ve left it to the last minute, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on the popular destinations.

3. Combine transport and accommodation. If you want to journey a little further afield, travelling by caravan can be lot of fun for the youngsters and a great way to cut costs. You can save even more money – about 20% off the rental cost – by hiring a caravan through MyCaravan. Consider the Sydney to Brisbane trail if you’re coming from Sydney, which stretches 900km along the Pacific Coast corridor, passing through the Hunter Valley, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. From Melbourne, you can take a leisurely trip over to Adelaide, checking out the beautiful beaches along the Great Ocean Road, the spectacular coast along Apollo Bay, and the abundant birdlife in Coorong National Park. Customers also have the option of getting the caravan towed to and from the camping site, making it a great option for busy families and first-timers.

But there’s no reason to be at the mercy of the price-gouging travel companies. Here are five money-saving hacks you can use that will keep more money in your bank account while still ensuring the family has a fantastic holiday. 1. Bail on Bali and have a staycation. The plummeting value of the Aussie dollar is a good reason to stay local these holidays. The other is that we have some of the most beautiful locations in the world right in our own backyard, so why spend hundreds of dollars on airfares? No matter where you are in Australia, there are stunning spots you can visit for a day trip that are as little as a half an hour’s drive away. If you’re in Sydney, consider Collins Beach (30-minute drive), Kangaroo Valley (twohour drive) and Jervis Bay (three-hour drive). From Melbourne, there’s the Yarra Valley (onehour drive), the Dandenong Ranges (one-hour drive) and Philip Island (two-hour drive). 2. No car? No problem. Skip the traditional car rental companies – which always jack up the prices during school holidays and use DriveMyCar. This service rents cars out from private owners or direct from the manufacturers, which is why it can be up to 50% cheaper than traditional car rental 22

4. Sleep under the stars. The warmer climate at this time of the year means it’s never been a better time to dust off your camping equipment. FindACamp is a website that shows you the nearest bush camping and caravan parks within a certain kilometre radius of your location, with details on the location, fees, and on-site facilities (toilets, shower, BBQ, etc). 5. Try something new. Great holidays often revolve around having new and fun experiences, but there’s no reason why you can only have those when you’re away from home. Websites like Groupon , Spreets and Cudo offer fun activities for the kids that are deeply discounted off the regular price, including a two-hour trampoline park and ninja warrior course, a snorkelling tour along the coastline, a deep sea fishing experience, and whale watching.

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mama can Cook! Tropical Smoothie Bowl Serves 2

Method:

1 frozen banana

Place all ingredients in a high powdered blender and blitz until creamy. If mixture feels too thick, simply add a touch of water to loosen and blitz again. Pour equally into two bowls and serve with extra toppings if desired.

1 cup frozen chopped mango 2 tablespoons hemp seeds 2 tablespoons white chia seeds 1/2 cup greek or coconut yoghurt 2 serves HIVITA KIDS LIQUIVITA Optional: oats, extra fruit to serve

Raw snickers bar 2 cups fresh dates, pitted 1/2 cup natural peanut butter 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup activated buckwheat (buckinis) or puffed brown rice/quinoa 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (you can leave raw if you wish) 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted 1/4 cup raw cacao powder 1 tbsp maple syrup

Method: Place the dates, peanut butter and vanilla in food processor and blitz until mixture comes together to form a paste. Combine date mix, buckinis and 1/2 the peanuts in a bowl and mix to combine. Line a loaf tin (20x15cm or thereabouts) with greaseproof paper, spread mixture evenly into tin and place in freezer to set. Combine coconut oil, cacao powder, maple and sea salt in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Pour chocolate mix over the set date mix, sprinkle with peanuts and place back in freezer to set for an hour. When ready, slice into small pieces and serve. Store in fridge or freezer up to 3 weeks.

pinch sea salt

Recipe by Jacqueline Alwill. Jacqueline is a leading Australian nutritionist, HIVITA Health & Beauty Ambassador, wholefoods cook, founder of The Brown Paper Bag and most importantly a mother to her son Jet! 25

A quIck spIN THROUGH LAUNDRY HISTORY Washing machines are one of those things that we take entirely for granted unless – heaven forbid – we have to manage without one! Can you imagine having to wash clothes, towels and bed linen by hand? Of course, for many centuries of civilisation that’s what people had to do, and indeed continue to do in some parts of the world today.

Rockin’ the laundry Early civilisations generally made do with a river and a few rocks, and garments were usually pounded by or over rocks, scrubbed with sand or small stones, and manipulated with wooden tools or underfoot. It took a lot of time and effort, and many garments would have remained unwashed a lot of the time.

Roman ingenuity It took the Romans to make washing clothes a much bigger and grander affair. The Romans built public laundries called ‘fulleries’ where garments were washed, whitened, re-dyed and pressed by the ‘fuller’, or laundryman. Clothes were washed in stone bowls with clay and ammoniated water and dried by being hung on frames, then pressed flat by being fed through a large press turned by cranks. The ammonia in the ammoniated water came from urine collected from public urinals. It may sound disgusting, but apparently, it worked, and urine was used for stain removal in Medieval Europe as well. Combinations of animal fats and various types of ashes were also used as cleaning products.

Early washing machines Laundry work continued to be hard manual labour throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, although at least soap that is more similar to the product we know became available during the 1800s. Washing machines of various types were developed around this time too, and these contraptions were powered by hand-cranks or steam. The first electric-powered washing machine, the Thor, was produced in 1908 and was a commercial washer sold by the Hurley Machine Company of Chicago. It wasn’t until the post-war period of the 1950s that automatic washing machines become more widely available in domestic homes.

Laundromat popularity Even though it took many years for households to have their own washing machines, at least laundromats had been invented in the meantime. The first laundromat was known as a Wash-a-teria and was opened in Texas, USA, in 1934. Laundromats became extremely popular in the US and were soon available all over the country, allowing families the luxury of using washing machines, which would have otherwise been unavailable to them. While washing machines are everyday items these days, laundromats provide a valuable service, particularly with the increase in highdensity housing where space can be in short supply.

MORE TIME FOR FUN A lot of what we do as parents doesn’t come under the ‘Fun’ category - the cleaning, the organising, the saying ‘no’, the enforcing of the rules. It’s easy for fun to take the back seat to all of this routine, but it shouldn’t. The fun we have with our kids creates golden memories and is one of the best ways to ensure our kids grow into confident, happy adults. So we’ve put together some inspiration to help you make more time for fun, every day:

Prioritise fun

The minute you look at your phone or log on to your laptop the kids know the fun is over. Having fun requires your full attention, so turn off your phone and vow not to check Facebook, Instagram or emails during fun time. There’s time to do that later.

Keep things simple How much time everyday do you spend deciding what to wear? Make like Steve Jobs and have your own personal uniform. He wore jeans, a black turtle neck and trainers everyday – to avoid decision making fatigue, saving his mental time and energy for more important things.

Having fun with the kids teaches them social skills and knowing that you love playing with them is invaluable for their self-esteem and confidence. What could be more important than that?

The same technique works for making time for fun – create your own uniform (turtle neck not required!) so that you can be ready in 5 minutes, and save that time for having fun.

But is having fun with the kids a priority? Try saying ‘having fun with the kids is not a priority’ and see how that sounds – it’s a quick way to realise that yes, having fun with the kids should be a priority for you.

Plan out the week’s meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner – then create a shopping list and do it all online. This is going to take an hour or so, but then you’re done for the week – no multiple trips to the supermarket, no deciding what to cook every day, and, you got it, making more time for fun.

Make fun part of your routine... What’s your daily routine? Is fun a part of it or just something that happens if you have time? Every day we make time to get dressed, brush our teeth, do the school run, make meals, read stories, do bath time, get ready for bed... Take a look at your routine and see where fun naturally fits in, then book it in as a nonnegotiable part of your day.

...and make your routine fun An easy way to get in more fun is to make more of the daily routine fun, for both you and the kids. Turn as many parts of the day into a game as you can – from brushing teeth to doing the supermarket shopping, it can all be fun if you put your mind to it.

Ignore the outside world

Avoid adults As soon as an adult turns up, the fun switch is turned off. You can’t be the fun one when you’re talking to someone else, so ban adults when you’re having fun time with the kids. Save it for when they’re having fun times with their friends.

Say ‘No’ more Making time to have real quality time with the kids, just you and them, might mean saying ‘no’ to some of the play dates and events they get invited to. You don’t have to make up a mystery illness, just tell the other parents you’re making time for one-on-one fun and see how the idea catches on.

Get help

Be perfectly imperfect

Talk to your partner about this and find ways you can help each other to make time. Share the bathtime/bedtime/mealtime/homework duties so you can both have time to play.

The dishes can wait…

Always ‘The Enforcer’? Talk about this too. Enforcing works best when you support each other and this role really is better shared. Have a childminder/babysitter? Get them to do the dishes/make the dinner or lunches. Ask a relative or friend your kids look up to to give them some help with schoolwork, say an hour a week, and use that time to do some of the chores you’d otherwise do on the weekend when you could be having fun.

Relax Having fun has to be fun for you too – if life’s stressful, get out and about and have fun by playing around the park with the kids. Tegan from @blakeandbruce loves having fun with her son Blake (and dog Bruce!) on their Micro Scooters. For more info visit www.microscooters.com.au

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Into InterIors Children’s spaces are fast becoming a creative extension and a real statement in the family home and Liberty Interiors, headed up by Melbourne mum Nicole Rosenberg, is tapping into this new-found obsession with all things beautiful. A lover of all things art and style, like many, Nicole found her inspiration to start her business after having her own children. After decorating their bedrooms and then the rooms of friends and family, she felt encouraged by how much she loved creating these beautiful spaces and how much her friends loved her work, so she knew there was a business in this niche service, and she was right!

Obviously your kids were your inspiration to start your business. Tell us a bit about your children. Ruby is my eldest and is now 14 – she is like a mini me! She loves being creative, having everything full coordinated and would love to come and work for me one day! Millie is my middle child and is 12. She loves being on stage and I can see her doing something in the arts when she grows up! She has big plans for her next room … that she thinks is coming soon … Archie is 9 and is my little baby (but a big one). He is completely obsessed with all things sports and could care less about what his room looks like – he sleeps in there and that’s about it!

What were you doing before the kids were born? I studied to be an Occupational Therapist for four years when I left school and was working in a hospital! I knew it wasn’t something that could sustain me as I just wasn’t passionate about the field at all. Once I had Ruby I knew I didn’t want to go back working as an OT and started creating personalised hand painted Babushka Dolls for baby presents! This kept 32

me busy for a couple of years and was a great creative outlet for me whilst I was at home looking after Ruby. I also became obsessed with decorating Ruby’s nursery and people started asking me to do the same for their children! And that’s how my business started!

What’s your favourite thing about being a mum? Being a role model. I really want my kids to look at me and see that I’m a hard-working Mum that can do it all! My kids go to private schools and are very fortunate and I want to instil in them a hard-working ethic and know that opportunities are not just handed to you. I love spending time with my kids, but I find that our day to day (and especially during the week) lives are just so busy and fast paced it’s sometimes hard to find the time to really connect one on one so I’m really trying to think about that now going forward.

If you could style anyone’s home, whose would it be? Harry and Megan’s! I really think they are going to call me any second to do the nursery … I’m keeping my diary open ….

Favourite colour? I absolutely love deep moody blue and dusty muted shades of pink. I also think that paint is the easiest and cheapest ways to create a mood in a room and the best thing about it is you can paint over it again and again!!!

What are your favourite key pieces to use when styling a children’s room? Beautiful linen is essential, and this is something that touches your child’s skin every single night! I also love to invest in custom made bedheads using textural linens. Bookcases are also essential, and I love to specify ones that are a little different like the house shelf from This Little Love.

Here are Nicole’s top 5 tips for creating a beautiful and functional kid’s space: 1. Don’t crowd the space! A room needs space to breathe so don’t fill up the room with unnecessary furniture and just focus on the essential furniture pieces that your child will use most. This will also encourage your child to keep their rooms clean easier and generally look less cluttered.

2. Use child friendly materials When choosing a fabric for a bedhead make sure it’s one that can be cleaned easily and also opt for darker colors.

3. Storage, Storage, Storage Storage is essential in any kids’ room, As your child grows up into a young adult, they will still need adequate storage space. What starts out as room for toys and soft teddies will evolve into storage for clothes, books and other personal belongings so that’s the one essential your kids are always going to need and use. Built in under bed storage is a really great option if you need extra storage in the room.

4. Painting the room! If you are on a budget I always say paint the entire room a color- it’s the easiest way to create something fun and magical! Paint your child’s room in a bright and vibrant hue that reflects his or her own personality. You can easily re-paint the room as your child grows as well!

5. Rugs I love using rugs in kids’ rooms, firstly to save the carpet that’s under it for Mum (LOL) but secondly it’s a great way to jazz up the space as often carpet can look so boring! I like to opt for round rugs in kids’ spaces as it gives a sense of fun and creativity to the space! I always like to opt for natural fibres in a rug such as wool or hemp. Check out Nicole’s amazing portfolio at libertyinteriors.com.au and follow the fun at @liberty.interiors. 81.6k other followers can’t be wrong! 33

turn the page My Family Doesn’t Look Like Your Family Written by Tenielle Stoltenkamp and illustrated by Go Suga Challenging the status quo of today’s ‘traditional family,’ this book uses colourful illustrations that depict gender-fluid human figures to encourage conversations about the things that make every family unique. My family doesn’t look like your family removes titles, roles, race and gender, and instead uses counting and inclusive questions to encourage conversations about the things that make every family unique. For readers 4-7 but designed to be read with the whole family or class. www.myfamily-thebook.com

Sticker World: Airport - Lonely Planet Kids. From designing your own passenger jet and checking in customers, to selling holiday hats and sunglasses, this is your chance to build the ultimate airport. Serve up your favourite food, fill in passports and transport weird and wonderful objects around the world in giant cargo planes! Get ready to create the best airport ever! This bright and bold sticker book lets children become an architect, designer and builder all in one. Filled with fun facts and more than 500 stickers, kids will love getting a look at the inner workings of an airport. For readers 6-8 from lonelyplanetkids.com

Frankie Fish and the Sister Shemozzle – Peter Helliar Local comedian, and all round funny guy, Peter Helliar, has gone from strength to strength since Frankie Fish and the Sonic Suitcase, the first book in the series about a twelve-year-old prankster who inherits a time-travelling suitcase from his grumpy grandad, published in 2017. In Helliar’s fourth book in the Frankie Fish series, which launched in March, Frankie and his best friend Drew Bird must go back to Ancient Greece to track down Frankie’s big sister and bring her home. For readers 8+, in all good book shops.

What’s a Yiayia? A Book About Grandmothers - Stella Stamatakis A beautiful picture book about diversity and cultural acceptance. When Eleni tells her friend Luca about her Yiayia, he has no idea what she is talking about. That is until he realises he has one too - a grandmother! Only his is called a Nonna. In fact, all their friends have a grandmother - the only difference is the special name they have for her. Eleni is happy to teach her friends about her yiayia, the special things they do together and the delicious food they cook. In the same way that she is curious to learn about her friends’ backgrounds and what they call their grandmothers. What do you call your grandmother? For readers 4 to 8. Purchase from www.stellastamatakis.com or Amazon. 34

Little voices have lots to say Our greatest asset are your children, so we asked them to tell you what they like about Sentia!

program focuses on developing opportunities for children to discover, explore and learn through play.

At Sentia we love what we do and it shows! We care about you and your child.

Book a tour today to see our expansive city space and meet our wonderful carers.

Our childcare and kindergarten

sentia.vic.edu.au

450 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 T: 03 9629 9860 Get more from mama - www.mamamag.com.au | Get social with mama - @localmamamag

HappIness and health Happiness and good health are at the top of the list for what parents at our early learning centres want most for their children.

helping children to identify and name the feeling allows them to develop an emotional vocabulary to talk about their feelings.

Whilst parents hold these hopes and aspirations, there are increasing levels of stress and mental health issues in younger children, with recent statistics revealing one in seven children aged 4-17 experiences mental health issues.

Beyond the natural abilities we are born with, research shows that grit is even more important for predicting success; it is the drive and attitude that lets us ‘hang in there’ and persevere when faced with obstacles.

As an experienced early learning professional from Niño ELA, I believe that building the skills and mindsets that help children cope with the challenges throughout their lives is an essential part of the early year’s curriculum. Developing a strong sense of wellbeing lays the foundation for a successful start to school and improved outcomes later in life.

We encourage children to not give up. Jigsaw puzzles, building block challenges and climbing frames are ways to encourage children to keep trying.

Partnering with Geelong Grammar’s Institute of Positive Education, Niño ELA has implemented Positive Education, which combines the science of positive psychology with best practice teaching, encouraging and supporting education services and communities to flourish. into its curriculum, Children are taught skills that help strengthen their relationships, build positive emotions, enhance resilience, promote mindfulness and encourage a healthy lifestyle. There are many ways parents can help to build their children’s wellbeing skills:

Building Resilience Resilience is the ability to grow through challenges and bounce back from adversity. Our educational and enhancement programs provide children with many opportunities for personal challenge, problem solving, exploration of their creative and criticalthinking skills which support children in building resilience and self-confidence. For parents, encouraging children to identify and express their feelings in a positive way helps develop the skills required to manage them. Behind every behaviour is a feeling 36

Grit (Perseverance)

When confronted by statements like “I can’t…” and “I am not able...” remember the word YET – “you are not able to YET – but let’s keep practicing and you will get there”.

Gratitude Gratitude is considered an essential part of building happiness and it has been shown to produce long lasting positivity. Cultivating gratitude helps people appreciate and notice the good things in life. We use meal times to encourage open conversations with the children about the elements of their day and interactions with friends that they have enjoyed and are thankful for. For parents, role modelling gratitude is essential - expressing gratitude through words, small gifts or reciprocal acts are all ways to teach children how to become grateful. Daily habits, such as meal time conversations about the things we are grateful for helps children to reflect positively on their interactions and relationships.

Mindfulness Mindfulness helps to decrease negative emotions such as anxiety and worry, improving emotional regulation, leading to better moods. It is the practice of cultivating awareness, the aim of which is to be aware, present and focussed.

Since implementing mindful meditation sessions in our centres, our teachers have noticed an improvement in children’s concentration, focus and ability to self-regulate. For parents, start with small elements, gradually building over time – small pauses; slowing down to create quiet spaces; appreciating nature and beauty; creating quiet and calming bedtime rituals.

Health The connections between what we eat, physical activity and lifelong health are well known. Teaching children the skills and attitudes that underpin good food and exercise choices is essential. We encourage children to make their own food choices, discussing their choices and selections. We feature kitchen gardens tended by the chef and the children, creating the garden to plate link, and encourage outdoor and physical activities such as yoga, taekwondo and dancing.

At home, parents can talk about food choices, encourage children to get involved in the meal preparation, and to live active lives – ride, cycle, walk, climb – channel your inner child and make the time to play actively with them.

Self-care In order to have the energy to care for children and families, parents need to make sure that they are taking care of their own health and wellbeing. Leading by example and role modelling an active and healthy life is essential. After all, our children want to be just like us. Start small – 15 minutes a day. Making time to exercise with the whole family can be a great way to start. Sharing quiet mindful spaces with children can be rewarding for both parent and child. By Melinda Ackerman. Melinda has more than 25 years in the early learning industry and is Company Manager at Niño Early Learning Adventures (Niño ELA). To learn more about Positive Education at Niño ELA, visit ninoela.com.au

home huntIng Looking for a house that you can call your family home is no easy task. Unlike looking for a first home, or investment property – where there are less variables looking for a family home requires a lot of foresight and the juggling of many factors. The average checklist for someone looking for a home for their growing family will look something like this (and this is just a start!): • Does it have enough bedrooms? • Does it have a bath? • Is there enough storage? • What school is it zoned to? • How close is it to a park or playground? This checklist is bloody long, and dynamic. It changes as your family transitions through multiple stages of life. For example, one toilet and shower might be fine when the kids are young, but when everyone starts to need the bathroom you might need more than one. Here are 5 top tips to help you in the search for a family home:

1. Take your time Not only will this ensure you avoid making a rash decision, but it’ll also help you to: Understand market value of homes that meet your criteria. Watching the sale results and auction bidding is helpful in both understanding what houses are worth and sussing out the competition! When looking, you tend to see the same groups that share your search criteria. It is helpful to know what their budgets and limitations might be when it comes to crunch time.

Hone your list of wants v’s needs. You’ll be able to analyse floor plans and consider what is going to work best for your family in the immediate to longer term. When we were looking, we wanted a house with a big garden for the kids to enjoy. With the benefit of time to consider this, I realised that a trip to the park with the kids was my saviour, and my dream of being able to watch the kids from the kitchen while I got my bake on was not my reality. Wherever I am, my kids are about a metre away.

2. Go it alone For some people, seeing how their kids react to a house can be an indication it’s the house for you. This might be helpful for some, but buyers with little kids, beware! They are not working off your checklist! They’re getting excited about the telly size or cubby house. When we were looking I was excited to see the kid’s reactions, but the novelty quickly wore off when I realised I was barely looking at these houses. I couldn’t get through open homes fast enough. It was only a matter of time until one of my kids broke something! I was chasing them through rooms and not concentrating on important details like, where will the ironing board go? Where would we keep our bikes, scooters, toys etc? Make sure you always have a child-free inspection. If that can’t be during the set open times, a good agent will organise a private viewing for you.

3. Get snooping Finding the right area is almost just as important as the right house, so you need to find out what it’s really like to live there. Chatting to neighbours is nice to build rapport early, but they’ll always rave about their own street. You need to find unbiased opinions. Head to the local playground and chat to another parent. They won’t want you raising kids in a horrible area! Or go online to Facebook groups. Ask why people moved away and what makes people want to stay in the area.

4. Assess the impact

5. Call for help

Buying a ‘fixer upper’ can be very enticing. You can create a custom-made home for your family and save some cashola on stamp duty. But, there are some key considerations. Most importantly, where are you going to live when the project is underway? A major renovation can take up to 2 years end to end. About 9 months of that is likely unliveable. Unless you can carry out work in stages, you will likely need to rent. Look online to understand rental prices. Consider how drop offs and kid’s activities would work if you needed to move out further during this period for affordability. It’s a short-term inconvenience for a long-term gain, but it’s an important to consider from a lifestyle perspective.

If everything seems too difficult, particularly around all the weekend activities, then a great option is to engage a buyer’s advocate. A buyer’s advocate will understand your requirements and give you some independent perspective. They take the emotion out of the search and provide expert impartial advice that will help you determine the right house and area for your budget. They also have networks into local agents that you can only dream of, so they can snap up perfect properties before the public get a chance to. For more advice to help you in your search for a new home, or if you are planning to sell, build or renovate check out West Home Girl – www.westhomegirl.com or follow on social media @westhomegirl.

resolutIon to run 80% of your New Year’s resolutions fail by February! How did yours go? Did you declare this was the year you got fit? Well there is still hope, and it’s fun and social too! Join your local parkrun. parkrun is a free socially focused 5km event that takes place every Saturday morning around the country and is open to people of all ages and abilities. You can take part however you choose: walk, jog, run or volunteer. This year parkrun has teamed up with public health education campaign, LiveLighter, and is inviting all Australians to get along to their local parkrun as part of living a healthier and happier life in 2019. With research from LiveLighter showing that only 1 in 5 Aussies are meeting the physical activity guidelines, the collaboration between the organisations aims to promote health and wellbeing across the nation and combat Australia’s growing obesity epidemic. The LiveLighter campaign encourages people to be aware of their health through exploring potential consequences of unhealthy lifestyles, developing skills to make positive changes and by supporting the dialogue and community response to changing the food and activity environment.

Live Lighter Campaign Manager, Alice Bastable, says the statistics show many people are still finding reasons not to exercise but a community response is a big step in the right direction. “We approached parkrun to collaborate for a number of reasons, particularly their strong community cohesion and in response to what our research tells us about Australians’ exercise habits, which parkrun directly addresses,” Ms Bastable said. “Only 17% of people we surveyed held gym memberships and the reasons for cancelling overwhelmingly showed up as cost and lack of motivation.” She said almost half agreed that socialising is a key motivation for exercise, with many having parks less than 5 minutes from home. Research shows that while more than half of Aussies prefer to exercise outdoors, we’re still not making the most of the beautiful parks on our doorsteps. parkrun ticks so many boxes - it’s free, it’s outdoors and it’s social. We’re excited to guide our network towards the parkrun community, in addition to the extensive health, nutrition and lifestyle advice we can provide as part of our LiveLighter campaign,” Ms. Bastable said.

Your local Westside parkruns: Altona Beach, Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Newport Lakes, Point Cook, Sunbury, Toolern Creek (Melton South) and Wyndham Vale. parkrun is free, simply register once online at parkrun.com.au

SCLIFF

QUEEN

13-14 APRIL

Also in Oct & Jan

EASTER WEEKEND 2019 Good Friday Train Rides

Proceeds donated to the RCH Appeal

Easter Bunny Specials Easter Saturday & Sunday

Heritage Train Service

Easter Saturday, Sunday & Monday,

Visit website for details & bookings

www.bellarinerailway.com.au

TreeHaus is an Allied Health Clinic providing specialised therapies to individuals, couples, children and families. • Paediatrician • Psychology • Psychoanalysis • Couples Counselling • Art Therapy • Speech pathology • Occupational Therapy • Dietetics and Nutrition • Child Assessments

Group therapy also available

Medicare rebate available

9397 4499

www.treehauswilliamstown.com.au

2 Cox’s Garden Williamstown 3016 Get more from mama - www.mamamag.com.au | Get social with mama - @localmamamag

get crafty

Create your own camping small world!!

With the school holidays coming up, I am accumulating a list of projects to keep my little ones entertained. At the top of the list is this fun DIY camping small world, that you will be able to put together with things you already have at home. Making and decorating this small world is a wonderful way to encourage play and to develop language and fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.

What is Small World Play Small world play is imaginative play where children are provided with a selection of small objects with which to play. Small worlds are super simple to set-up, and children love the invitation to play, often spending hours at a time playing and learning. Small worlds are often set up in a certain theme such as dinosaur world, farms or zoos and construction areas, and are generally relevant or meaningful to your child. You can even include sensory elements to your small worlds including water, rocks, dry pasta or sand to add an extra layer to the play. Small world play benefits many areas of child development. By providing children with opportunities to re-enact different life

By Jacinta from Cinta & Co, scientist and Williamstown mum of three! I post bright and colourful learning projects on my Instagram account @cintaandco. It’s called Cinta & Co. as my family and friends call me Cinta – short for Jacinta, and my kids are my co!

experiences, you are helping them to reflect on their feelings and emotions. Children are able to explore and experiment with different emotions as they act out scenes in their play. Small world play is also a great way to facilitate the extension of a child’s vocabulary. Through story telling and acting out different scenarios, children are able to cultivate their imaginations and develop the language needed to express their ideas. While small world play encourages children to play independently, it’s also great at encouraging children to play cooperatively together. There are so many great examples of small worlds that you could recreate in your home. Check out @playfullittlelearners for amazing small worlds created in the bathroom sink!

What you will need: A box or container to hold your small world (we have simply used a shoe box lid). • Coloured paper • Scissors • Craft sticks • White PVA glue • Decorations such as pom poms, pipe cleaners, sequins, buttons, washi tape & LEGO people

Method: 1. To make the tents, cut a rectangular piece of paper approximately 10cm wide and 20cm long. Fold the rectangle in half. 2. Next, glue two craft sticks together to form the

ends of the tent. Place a drop of glue on one stick, and then press the second stick down to make the cross pattern shown. Allow the glue to dry completely. This will take about 20-30 minutes. You will need two of these frames per tent.

3. Once your tent frames are completely dry, glue the paper rectangle to the frame. The easiest way to do this, is by running a line of glue along each craft stick and then pressing the edge of paper onto the craft stick. Allow to completely dry before repeating with the second craft stick frame. 4. To make the base of your small world tent,

simply glue down some green paper for grass. You could use felt or even paint some newspaper for added texture. A small piece of synthetic grass would be perfect!

5. Next, decide on where your water portion of the

small world will be. Cut and then paste down some blue paper as your water. Again, you can use any material you like for the water. You may choose to use bubble wrap or fabric to represent your water.

6. Add your tents to the grassed area and then decorate with button rocks, a pom pom fire and any other little pieces you may have around the house. We used LEGO figurines as our campers. 7. As an optional play extension, turn your small

world into a fishing game. We made these fish by twisting pipe cleaners and placing them into the water. I then glued a small magnet to a craft stick to use as a fishing rod.

Chris Humfrey’s

ZOO kEEPER experience AS seen on

Great School Holiday Fun! Program runs from 9am to 4pm (selected dates). Suitable for kids aged 5-17 years.

Spend a day with zoologist Chris Humfrey, from Animal Planet’s new series “Chris Humfrey's Animal Instinct”, at his very own private zoo in Mount Macedon, just 50min from Melbourne’s CBD. Get up close and personal with over 2000 animals with this hands-on experience which is offered nowhere else. Chris has personally designed this exclusive program, with strictly limited numbers of children, to ensure your child gets the best WILD experience possible!

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

WIN

1 of 2 Family Passes to Puffing Billy, from Emerald or Lakeside to Gembrook return

Toot Toot! Jump on board and enjoy the magic of Puffing Billy as it takes you and the family through the magnificent Dandenong Ranges. With lush fern gullies brushing past and Mountain Ash trees towering overhead, Puffing Billy makes for a wonderful opportunity to relax and breathe in the fresh air whilst the train makes its way through the temperate rainforest.

Valued

$118

Simply colour to win!

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each!

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

Child’s name:

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MUM’S BIBLE to BALI If you’ve been to Bali and you haven’t consulted the Bali Bible, you’re missing out! The Bali Bible started as a simple thought for Melbourne mum Lani te Hennepe. As a seasoned traveller to Bali, Lani was often asked by friends and family about the best things to do, see and experience in Bali. Her list of ideas quickly became sought after in their wider network. and leveraging on husband Simon’s experience running a web development company, they siezed the idea and together created a simple way to share these recommendations, via The Bali Bible. Today, 10 years later, The Bali Bible, with its popular website and social channels, sits under their latest business venture TRAVLR, with users able to book entire curated trips through their website. The TRAVLR brand now operates across six countries and has over 85 staff!

Tell us a bit about your little family. How old is Finn now? How did you and Simon meet? We are a tight knit family of 3 soon to be 4 our baby girl is on the way and due in May and we couldn’t be more excited! Simon and I met at a mutual gathering quite a few years back and clicked instantly. We’ve been inseparable ever since. Our son Finn is two years old but will be turning three in August and like us, is a Bali regular.

What you were doing career wise before you started The Bali Bible? Prior to starting The Bali Bible I worked in HR - I’m a people person through and through so naturally gravitated towards a career that put people at the core of their business. I guess that’s really how The Bali Bible started when I think about it, simply providing recommendations to friends, family and team members at my previous role who were heading over to Bali for a holiday and looking for tips.

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You were working full time and growing The Bali Bible on the side. At what point did you decide you could let go of your ‘real job’ and grow The Bali Bible into a ‘real business’? Both Simon and I had full time jobs when we started The Bali Bible - we were getting up early (before work) and staying up working until after midnight together to pursue what seemed like a dream of being an authority on all things Bali. The minute we reached 10,000 followers on Facebook, which happened over a matter of weeks, this was the lightbulb moment we knew our little idea could be a full-blown business.

5 years ago, just as The Bali Bible was booming, Simon suggested tipping all the profits into a new venture TRAVLR. What were your thoughts at the time? Crazy or amazing? My initial thoughts were “are you crazy?” but we’ve always been the type of couple that back each other and support each other no matter what, so if Simon was in, I was always going to be right there by his side along for the ride. It all happened really quickly and I’m so thankful that it did. We have been under the pump, had ups and downs, but now that we have found our rhythm, the business is going from strength to strength.

How does TRAVLR differ from The Bali Bible? To put it simply, TRAVLR is the technology platform behind The Bali Bible. TRAVLR allows our community to book their dream Bali trip (or Indonesia, Fiji, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands) through our site, including flights, accommodation, activities and experiences.

Besides Bali (obviously) what are some holiday destinations you love visiting as a family? We love heading to Merimbula with Simon’s family, we do that every year with all the kids and we have an absolute ball. My parents also have a holiday house in the Mornington Peninsula which is like our second home. Throughout the year, we spend a lot of time there with my family. Fiji is next on the hit list and we’ve just launched TRAVLR Fiji so I’ve been using our website daily to plan our next trip there as a family.

Any funny stories from travelling with Finn? Finn is your typical boys boy. He’s always wanting to explore, can’t sit still for long and if he’s not impersonating Fireman Sam he’s chatting to everyone. Whenever we head to Bali, Finn is always wanting to strike up conversations with the locals. He loves counting to 3 with them and you can just hear him yelling out to anyone who will listen “satu, dua, tiga” - it’s very cute, the first 50 times.

Finally where can we find you? www.travlr.com and www.thebalibible.com and follow @thebalibible on Insta. 905K followers can’t be wrong!

Early Learning Kinder Our centres offer:

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