Busy Mums Magazine Nov 2016

Busy Mums Mag

Volume 13 December 2016

Christmas 2016 Special Edition

Bedwetting School Holidays

Editors Note In creating our final magazine for 2016, I became nostalgic and proud of how far the Busy Mums Magazine has come over the past two years. Developed to provide support, information and fun ideas to mums short on time , we continuously look for time saving ideas, fun things to enjoy with our kids and ways in which we , as mums, can look and feel better – inside and out.

Our overall goal is to offer Mums a magazine aimed at Busy Mums to provide entertainment and inspiration .

I hope that you enjoy our Magazine and find our articles and information both useful and informative . I would love to hear topic suggestions and your ideas for our 2017 editions.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Lorraine Salvi Editor and Founder of the Busy Mums Magazine and MumsDelivery

Get in touch: Editor: Lorraine Salvi lorraine@mumsdelivery.com.au Advertising Enquiries: info@mumsdelivery.com.au Office: (02) 9940 3097 2

Would you like to become a contributor for Busy Mums Magazine? We are always on the look out for stories and mums wanting to share their experiences & tips Stay Connected

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Table of Contents

Parenting

Lifestyle Christmas 2016 Special

Top 5 Tips for Healthy Young Skin Tips to Manage Bed Wetting Childcare Stress Evolves Board Games for Pre-Schoolers Fun Kids Craft Latest Toys to Hit the Market Make Holidays Magical & Fun Dec/Jan School Holiday Activities Children’s Product Reviews

5 Easy Homemade Gift Ideas Christmas Books for Kids 2016 Christmas Gift Guide Christmas Treats Christmas Decorations & Lights Gifts for Overseas Family Lifestyle Product Reviews

Food Candy Cane Marshmellows White Christmas Rocky Road Sweet Potato & Potato Trees

Fashion & Beauty Easy Fashion Accessories for the Stylish Mum 6 Essential Hand Bag Make-up items Beauty Spot

Travel Other New Books Competitions & DVD Releases New and Noteworty items

Tips for Road Trips with Kids

Parenting

Top 5 Tips for Healthy Young Skin Children’s skin is thinner and more fragile and sensitive than adults’ skin. It can be easily irritated, because it can’t make a lot of natural oils and its ability to act as a barrier to bacteria and harmful chemicals and environmental factors is also diminished.

To help look after and protect the skin from infancy through to childhood and early adolescence, use the following recommendations:

1. Choose an age appropriate body wash for bathing.

Young skin has different needs to adult skin, so it’s important to meet those needs with suitable skin care. Regular soaps can be very irritating, as the pH of these can be significantly higher than that of healthy skin, which leads to over drying of the skin.

Water temperature is also important. Hot water is drying so ensure your child is using warm water and keeping showers short. Choosing a pH balanced, soap free body wash will keep skin healthy and hydrated. Girl Lane soap- free wash is very gentle and effectively cleanses the skin without removing any natural oils. In fact, the active oils in the wash will regenerate damaged skin and nourish the natural barrier function.

2. Moisturise Using a good quality moisturiser immediately after bathing will increase skin hydration and improve barrier function, resulting in less irritated and softer skin. If young skin feels particularly dry then reapplying a suitable body lotion 3-4 times a day is recommended. Some moisturising lotions are high in paraffins and waxes which can make them feel

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greasy and uncomfortable on the skin, so choose a body lotion that is high in Vitamin E, sunflower oil and Shea butter which will soften and sooth fragile skin. Fragrance free products are preferred to reduce risk of irritation.

3. Suncare It’s important to start an early sun protection habit so that our children aren’t exposed to the same level of sun damage as their parents were. When outdoors, light clothing, hats, sunglasses and shade are the best forms of protection against the harsh Australian sun. A broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF50+), applied frequently and following swimming or other activities gives exceptional protection and hydration. Remember that lips and eyes also need protection against the sun!

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Parenting

4. What we eat and drink affects skin health Skincare doesn’t just end at SPF and moisturiser. What children drink and eat has a lot to do with it, too. Skin and diet are linked, so the better you eat, the better your skin will look and function. Try green juices daily instead of an afternoon milkshake, and ensure five different coloured vegetables are consumed daily. Not only will skin stay healthy, but children will have better concentration and immunity too.

5. Change clothing!

Children are so active, and their clothes and under clothes build up a mass of dead skin cells, sweat and stains. Even before children reach puberty and undergo body changes, their skin and clothing can be affected by bad odours if clothing is left on too long or worn for consecutive days.

Odour-causing bacteria rapidly multiply amidst dead skin cells in clothing, so change clothes daily and take off school uniforms as soon as children get home and hang them up.

It’s never too early to start looking after skin, and getting children into the habit of looking after their skin early, will protect them from skin damage in the future.

Written by Deborah Williams, Mother and Pharmacist, Formulator & Co-founder, Girl Lane Deborah decided to make a skincare range, Girl Lane, exclusively for girls to meet a need in the community.

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Parenting

Tips to manage Bed Wetting during the Night

Bed wetting is a common issue for many families, with 1 in 5 children in Australia wetting the bed1.

Whilst most children will grow out of it by the age of five, it is not uncommon for children to experience night time accidents into their early teenage years, and it can take an emotional and psychological toll on both child and family during the developmental process.

are doing this (to help them).

3. Always make sure your child goes to the The issue is complex, according to the toilet right before bed, for example after Continence Foundation of Australia1, they have brushed their teeth. Make it a ritual, causing concern for parents and feelings so that a habit forms to empty their bladder of embarrassment and low self-esteem for before bed. children, but in most cases bed wetting stops in 4. Leave a soft light on during the night so that the child’s own time. it feels “safe” to go to the toilet.

5. Use a trusted overnight pant with high Psychologist Leanne Hall says it can be an absorption. This saves a lot of stress for both exhausting experience for everyone, “Bed parent and child. wetting is caused by a delay in the maturation of the mechanisms that control the bladder While there is no common bed wetting strategy and something the child cannot control. For for children but baby care experts, BabyLove parents, it can lead to anger outbursts, anxiety say ensuring an infant is comfortable and dry and irritability, which can then have a negative throughout the night is an important factor, and impact on the child, who may become fearful of may just hold the key for a stress-free night. getting into trouble or anxious when they go to bed.”

“It sounds simple, but investing in a quality overnight pant that is highly absorbent and Apart from the emotional and psychological comfortable under their pyjamas will boost toll of bed wetting, there is also the additional your child’s confidence, and reduce their stress element of disrupted sleep for both the child and fear of waking up wet from a night time and household. accident,” says Deb Smith of Unicharm, makers of BabyLove Nappies.

Bed wetting tips from Psychologist, Leanne Hall BabyLove has developed an enhanced range 1. Reassure your child that it’s completely of overnight pants, BabyLove SleepyNights, normal! Anxiety can make the problem to suit children as young as two years of age worse, so try and stay calm, and always and up to their mid-teens. To obtain further praise your child when they have a dry information about BabyLove SleepyNights Pants night. Remember, nearly ALL children or BabyLove please visit www.babylovenappies. do eventually grow out of it – once their com.au To help you reduce your Bed Wetting bladders have reached maturity.

Experiences, We are giving away 1 packet 2. Try and be mindful of offering your child less of BabyLove SleepyNights Pants to 3 lucky fluids at night (where possible). However, winners. Enter here it’s important for your child not to feel like they are being punished so explain why you

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Childcare stress evolves through a childcare solution

Securing childcare in Australia can come at a premium to families, and its often the period waiting for a spot to come up for your child, which can cost families precious time, money and workplace stress. Latest patterns of formal child care use, varies by age. Under the age of 2 years, 22% of children usually attend child care, whilst a staggering 54% of 2 and 3-yearolds attend child care.

The stress and strain of childcare placement (or lack thereof) is evident across pregnancy and parenting forums, with the hot topic of childcare options and wait list times being discussed. Anxious parents often upload questions on discussion boards, with comments including: “When should we wait list our unborn child” or “How many childcare wait lists should one join” or “Should I seek out suitable childcare centres in my first trimester?”.

In fact, across some parts of metropolitan and rural Australia, booking children into a reputable childcare centre – before they are born - has superseded parents high school waitlist enrolment priorities!

With adverse effects to working parents, sadly over 55,000 Australian children were actually turned away from childcare centres, due to a lack of places according to data released from Australia Bureau of Statistics.

This is a big issue and the peak time for childcare stress and struggle is November, December and January for a few reasons, including birth rates increase in the later part of the year, working parents prepare for their next “life phase”, whilst returning parents often look for new employment options as the new year ticks over.

Put simply, Australia is crying out for faster, more achievable childcare options and decreased wait list times.

A recent initiative, destined to ease the childcare placement squeeze is DEXUS Property Group (DEXUS)’s unique partnership with Guardian Early Learning Group (Guardian), as they offer DEXUS customers priority of access to available childcare places. This initiative is expected to provide greater convenience and flexibility for working families of DEXUS customers.

The partnership comes as demand grows for childcare placements in high quality early learning programs particularly in inner city areas. This partnership provides DEXUS customers with easier access to childcare as families transition back to work and seek high quality learning environments for their children, close to their home or workplace.

This initiative is designed to assist DEXUS customers to improve productivity, by reducing stress for families transitioning back to work from parental leave and providing more certainty in lieu of long childcare waitlists.

For more information or to book a tour of your preferred Guardian childcare centre today, visit dexus.com/childspace

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Parenting

Board Games for Pre-Schoolers I have recently discovered that my 4 year old boy LOVES games. It just never occurred to me that he'd be old enough to have interest or grasp the rules at this age! (Note: he's my eldest so I'm discovering things every day!). He saw a deck of UNO cards in the cupboard and was eager to learn: he has since learnt UNO along with other classics such as Snap, Memory & Go Fish, and also likes Dominoes!

Coming up to Christmas, I've been looking at some further ideas for games that he'll be able to play: and I'm astounded at the huge range of board games available for toddlers-preschoolers!

There are a few key things that I look for in games for my boys: firstly, are they getting something out of it? A game should certainly be fun, but why not include learning if possible? It's the best way for a child to learn: through play and fun. I also look for whether the game is going to be something used only once or twice, or whether it's versatile enough to allow for different ways of play, or whether it'd simply hold my boy's attention as is.

Of course, vibrant colours and fun characters are winners with Master 2, and he loves joining in with his 4 year old brother.

I've listed below some game ideas that I've come across in my searches for other mumma's to add to their list of Christmas stocking stuffer ideas!

My First Scrabble is ideal for ages 3-6, and the level of difficulty can be adjusted to keep up with your child's increasing vocabulary. A fun and easy way to teach spelling and word sounds! RRP: $39.95 Orchard Toys - Match & Spell Game is versatile in that there are many ways you can play the game. The best thing is, they all promote word building and supports spelling and picture matching. A great and fun learning resource.

Available from Modern Teaching Aids for $24.95 Orchard Toys - Shopping List Game is suitable for ages 3-7 and is a memory game with the objective to fill your shopping trolley first. A fun game that kids can relate to given their frequent trips to the supermarket, and has your child thinking hard. My 4 year old would absolutely love

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this game! Available from Modern Teaching Aids for $26.95 Pop-Up Pirate is great for developing fine motor skills! The idea of the game is to push the swords into the barrell in which the pirate sits on, whilst not being the person to send him flying! The thing I like about this game is that it doesn't necessarily need to have multiple players and the kids can practice in their free play time. Pop-Up Pirate can be found at Big W for only $15.

Guess Who Board Game is an old favourite!

Excellent for developing children's awareness and consideration of people's features, whilst being fun and exciting too, Guess Who is recommended for ages 6+ however my 4 year old loves it! The only thing to keep in mind is that it's only for 2 players. Available through Big W for $25.

Connect 4 is another fantastic game for 2 players! It's a great game to have kids thinking ahead and promotes planning and counting as both players consider how they can set up 4 of their own coloured tokens in a row (be it diagonally, horizontally or vertically). Another old favourite, Connect 4 is available at Target for $29.

The Ben & Holly Memory Card Game is great for playing the card game Memory where each player needs to turn over 2 cards each turn with the aim being to match 2 cards the same.

They could also be used to play Snap and Fish!

Available from the ABC shop for $14.99, these are a great stocking stuffer idea.

Sara

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Parenting

Fun Kids Craft

Erupting Volcano

Materials Volcano Shell Used Empty Drink Bottle (plastic or glass) Newspapers Glue + Water Mixed Together (PVA Glue works best) Water 4- 5 drops Dishwashing Liquid Red Food Col Colouring 2 tbsp McKenzie’s Bi-Carb Soda 1/4 cup of vinegar Method MAKING THE VOLCANO SHELL Step 1: To make the basic shape of a volcano cut the middle of a plastic bottle out and then overlap the two ends together securing it with masking tape.

Step 2: Now for the fun part: Apply paper mache to the volcano using small strips of newspaper dipped into a gluey water mixture. Allow to dry.

Step 3: When the paper mache is dry, get the kids to paint the volcano.

MAKING THE ERUPTION: Step 1: Fill the bottle almost full with water. Put four to five drops of dishwashing liquid into the water followed by two drops of red food colouring.

Step 2: Add the Bi-Carb to the mix. Put the Volcano over the bottle so it is in place and ready to go.

Step 3: Pour the vinegar into the Volcano bottle and watch it erupt.

Remember to always supervise young children

Puffy Paint Ingredients 1 cup plain flour 3 tsp McKenzie’s Baking Powder 1 tsp McKenzie’s Australian Natural Sea Salt Water Method Step 1: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add enough water to make the consistency of a pancake batter.

Step 2: Divide mixture into four parts and place each into zip lock bags. Add a few drops of food colouring to each zip lock bag. “Squish” the mixture in the zip lock bag until desired colour is reached.

Step 3: Rubber band the zip lock bag on one edge like you were icing a cake and snip off the very tip. Paint away. Best to use thick paper or cardboard to paint on.

Step 4: Once painting is completed, place your son/daughter’s masterpiece in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and watch the puffy paint puff and grow!!! If paint is still wet, place in the microwave for additional 10-15 seconds. NB: Please note all microwave wattages are different so times may vary.

Find more Kids Craft Ideas here

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Parenting

Latest Toys to hit

Twirlywoos Character Gift Set The Twirlywoos Character Gift Set features Great BigHoo, Toodloo, Chickedy and Chick and Peekaboo! Made of chunky and durable plastic these colourful character figurines are the perfect size for little hands and will help children develop fine motor skills whilst encouraging them to use their imagination.

The characters vary in size from 5cm to 11cm and are compatible with the Big Red Boat Playset (sold separately). RRP $39.95 (suitable for children aged 18 months+) Twirlywoos toys are available at selected Kidstuff, Myer, Toyworld, Toys R Us and other leading toy stores.

Trolls Poppy Styling Station Every Trolls fan knows it's all about the hair! With the adorable Poppy Style Station, enjoy never-ending colourful hair play! Includes 10 styling accessories. Use the adorable charm clips and cute mini combs to give Poppy a hairiffic makeover! It's hours of troll-tastic styling fun!

Ages 4 + RRP: $69.99 Stockist: Toys are available at Toys R Us, Big W, and Myer

Star Wars Galactic Heroes 2 Pk Young Jedi can pretend to take adventures into their own hands with the Star Wars Galactic Heroes figures. Ignite their imaginations and bring a galaxy far, far away right into their world. Coming in assorted 2-packs, your little one can pretend to help R2-D2 & C-3P0 navigate the terrain, and team up against the Dark Side; help Han Solo and Chewbacca figures outwit intergalactic gangsters; or help Rey stop the nefarious Captain Phasma figure, who is up to no good!

The Playskool Heroes range is available from major retailers nationally.

RRP $9.99 Find out more www.hasbro.com/en-au Razor Jetts Just step up, strap down and take off with these easily adjustable, always awesome heel wheels to transform your ordinary sneakers into the hottest way to roll.

RRP $49.99 / Stockist: Big W, www.razor.com.au

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the Market

Parenting

Escape Room The most thrilling new board game this Christmas! Feel the thrill and enjoy the mystery from an escape game in your own home!

Work together to solve puzzles and crack the code to ‘escape’ before the Chrono Decoder counts down to Zero.

RRP $59.00 / Stockist: Available exclusively at Big W stores nation-wide

Hatchimals Hatchimals are interactive magical creatures inside eggs!

Who’s inside? It’s a surprise! Care for them and they will hatch themselves with your help! Teach yours to walk, talk, play games and more as you raise them through multiple stages.

RRP $99 / Stockist: Big W, Kmart, TRU, Toyworld Rubik’s 3x3 The Rubik’s Cube has been a family favourite since the 80’s, and if you’re a fan then you’re going to love Rubik’s 3x3 ($29.95). In this new and improved version of the classic game, the stickers have been replaced with tiles, which means there’s no fading, peeling or sneaky cheating by pulling the stickers off! Rubik’s Cube has over 43 Quintillion possible moves and with practice you can learn to solve it in under 10 seconds. Now available at all major toy retailers.

Transformers Rescue Bots Rescan With Transformers Rescue Bots from Playskool Heroes, kids can easily transform their favourite characters from the Rescue Bots animation to help save the day, and he’ll love converting his robot warrior back and forth for awesome Transformers adventures! Kids can select from the Optimus Prime figure that converts from fierce robot warrior mode to truck mode, the Blurr figure that converts from robot to race car mode, or even the Boulder the Construction-Bot figure that converts from robot to bulldozer mode. The Playskool Heroes range is available from major retailers nationally. RRP $19.99 Find out more www.hasbro.com/en-au

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6 Ways to Make Your Kids’ Do you dread the school holidays because you don’t know what to do with them? Love having your children at home for the break, because you can sleep in? Do they drive you up the wall with say-ings like ‘Mum, I’m bored!’ or ‘Mum, ‘he broke my Barbie’s arm!!!’? I do love having them around, but boy, sometimes they can get the better of me.

I bet you run out of ideas of what to do with them even though you have the best ideas before the holidays.

If you’re anything like me, you forget all the things you had planned and wished that you had access to a list of activities that are fun and cost-effective at the same time. I always used to envy a friend of mine who had a list of things to do with her kids.

I so hear you! As a mum of 3 I have seen way too many school holidays and run out of ideas time and again of what to do. Alt-hough my youngest is now a teenager, every term break (boy do they come around quickly) I still rack my brains to keep my children’s holidays eventful, before the dreaded b-word ‘bored’ even forms on their lips. Or what about this one: ‘There’s nothing to do’, yet whatever you suggest, is not good enough.

I do firmly believe that we don’t need to pack too many activities in-to the school holidays. Holidays are meant to be a time for families to wind down, to spend quality time together, to regroup and to de-stress from the ever-increasing busy schedules families get sucked into in our society these days. By giving our children breathing space and space to just be, we are gifting them with a valuable trait when they grow up and have families of their own. Humans need to have quiet time and rest. Being on familiar ground at home with family around them is the best place, where they can do just that.

Some time ago a close friend of mine and I went away to Phillip Is-land with our children. During this time, we lovingly and jokingly invented ‘Manners 101’ when it came to table manners. From there it spiraled to fun and hilarious activities (spur of the moment ones, mind you!), such as ‘back to front’ and ‘opposite’ day’. ‘Back chat days’ were an all-time favourite. The kids had an absolute ball with this.

When deciding what to do, consider their ages. Here are 6 activities my kids have loved over the years.

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Holiday Fun and Magical 1. ’Back to front - Turn it around’ Day

Be as creative as you like. Have dinner instead of breakfast, then breakfast at dinner time. Turn your meals around, having dessert first. Having meals with ingredients that would normally not go together.

2. ‘Opposite’ Day’

Everything anyone says has to be the opposite of what is meant to be said. This can turn into fun, lots of laughter and confusion. Like ‘I don’t want to go to McDonalds - it’s way too healthy!’

3. Spend time with them alone

Go on a date (if you have more than one child, take it in turns). I like to call it ‘Laura’ / ‘Emily’ / ‘Tim’ Day. It can be as simple as going to watch a movie, shopping, craft activities, walk, play games, ice cream.

4. ‘Choose your favourite meal’ Day

Your child/children take/s turns to choose what they would like to eat. This can also become a “Mini-Master Chef’ activity where they cook or bake.

5. Take a train into the city

Spend the day there. Free tram ride or free holiday activities. Botanical Gardens - have a picnic.

6. Go on a Night Walk

My kids loved walking with torches on Phillip Island - swamp boardwalk and beach, listening to the sounds of the night.

Create your own activities, allowing your children to suggest some. This empower them in the process and will make their holidays ab-solutely magical. Create long-lasting memories that they may want to pass on to their children one day. Remember, keep it SIMPLE. After all, you need a holiday, too!

Written by Ruth Stuettgen. Ruth is the published author of From Misery to Mastery – Journey to Freedom and Empowerment and The Book of Inspira-tion for Women by Women. Ruth is a mum of 2 girls and a boy, based in Melbourne. As Speaker and Coach, she is passionate about helping mums empower themselves to make delicious changes in their lives and business, all whilst creating a magical family life. Her free resource101 Super Cool Ways to make your Child’s Holidays Magical! is available via www.ruthstuettgen.com.au

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Parenting

Dec/Jan School Holiday Activities Powerhouse Museum - Sydney

Ancient Egypt comes to life at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences this summer.

The world premiere of Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives from the British Museum opens at the Powerhouse Museum on 10 December. To celebrate the arrival of the six mummies from ancient Egypt, children and their families can enjoy workshops and FREE activities across the three MAAS venues this summer.

Children can step back in time at the Powerhouse Museum and take on the role of a Dig Discoverer to reveal the lives of ancient Egyptians and use technology to uncover secrets buried for thousands of years. Join the giant dig pit and try your hand as a mini archaeologist, crack the code to escape from a tomb and embark on a night at the museum with Ancient Egyptian themed movie nights.

Sydney’s highest and largest aerial adventure park,

Skypeak Adventures, is now open for business,

challenging visitors from across Sydney to test their limits at this exhilarating, at-height experience.

Built around an ancient River Red Gum that stands taller than the structure itself and spread over three levels reaching 22m or 8 storeys high, There are a number of different courses to cater for different ages/abilities.

Address: 215 Forrester Road, St Marys, NSW 2760 Opening hours: MON – SUN: 9:00am – 7:00pm, late night THURS. For more information about Skypeak Adventures or to book, visit www.skypeak.com.au,

Eureka Skydeck - Melbourne

Take the kids out of their comfort zone and high into the sky these Summer School Holidays at Eureka Skydeck. Eureka Skydeck has a number of interactive displays on offer, including thirty viewfinders spread out across the space, which direct families to discover places of interest, including the MCG and Flinders Street Station. Be one of the first to experience Eureka Skydeck’s newest interactive attraction, The Heist.

The immersive audio game lets you explore Melbourne’s best views while guiding your team of master thieves through the diamond heist taking place below you. With your every move sound tracked, your movements drive the action forward.

M.A.D.E - Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka

Be transported back in time at M.A.D.E (Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka) experiencing a museum in a fun and kid-friendly way getting kids thinking about crime and punishment.

Explore the weapons and other objects with M.A.D.E’s discovery worksheet and participate in a hunt for the missing gold nuggets.

From 28th December, 2016 – Friday 20th January, 2017 Museum Entry: Adult $12, Children 6-15 $8, U5 free Free for Ballarat locals upon presentation of identification More information: www.made.org/whats-on/

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Parenting

Reviewed Tamar Valley Kids all natural Greek Yoghurt Eight. That’s the number of brands with yoghurt pouches targeted at kids staring at me in the local supermarket.

Read the review to see why the Tamar Valley Yoghurt stands out as being both healthy and delicious for young children. Read the review Familoo is a toilettraining toilet seat that combines an adult as well as a child size toilet seat to eliminate bathroom clutter!

It offers a great alternative to the removable toilet seat inserts that aren’t really user friendly for guests, and tend to pile up behind the toilet!

Read the Review and see the code to get a 10% discount!

Alby and the Cat Children’s Books Inspired by Leanne’s dad, who was blinded in an industrial accident many years ago, Alby and the Cat is the perfect series to provide an insight into the life of a disabled person and how they need to navigate and get over daily hurdles. Read more about these books in our

review.

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The VTech Baby Toot-Toot Drivers Racing Rampway is a great design, and has the ability to form not just one ramp, but three! The car (or racer) is interactive and lights up, sings and plays phrases. Read the

review

Girl Lane Girls Skin Care Getting your daughter to develop a good skin care routine is very important; not only will it help their skin to perform at its best while their bodies are changing, it will create a good habit that will continue to maintain the skin to its best ability and prolong the results of aging in the future. Girl Lane Skin Care is specifically developed for growing girls. Find out more

Tuutu Baby Box Finnish Designed and Australian made, The Tuutu Baby Box is designed to double as a bed and a change table helping mums to save money, space and its good for the planet.

See how and what’s included in our Review

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Christmas 2016

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Lifestyle

5 Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, however the costs associated with it can become overwhelming. Making your own gifts for teachers, friends and family is a great way to show them that you care without having to spend a fortune.

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M &M Christmas Gift Jars The M & M Christmas Gift Jars look great and were super easy to create. Most of the supplies for these were purchased from Kmart, Target and a fabric shop. I bought the M & Ms in bulk to reduce the cost as I was doing a number of jars. By creating 6 jars, each jar cost less than $6. See how easy it is to make the M & M Christmas Gift Jars.

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Christmas Cookie Jars Create another spin on the gift jars by creating a Christmas Cookie Jar. Simply decorate the jar to your liking and then fill with all the ingredients needed (other than fresh items required) so that your gift recipient can quickly and easily create the cookies. Ensure you pop a tag on the jar with the instructions to make the cookies and voila – a beautiful Christmas Gift. Click for instructions on making your own Christmas Cookie Jar.

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Christmas Plant Gift The Christmas Plant gift offers a long-term gift that can keep providing for the recipient well past Christmas. Put a herb or fruit plant into the pot, so that each time your recipient gets fruit or uses the herb, they are thinking of you and are appreciative for the gift. See how to make your own Christmas Plant Gift.

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Reindeer Beer Reindeer Beer offers a great way to make a 6-pack of beer seem like something more thoughtful and exciting. I think they look super cute and are a great way to get into the festive mood. I also like that the Reindeer Beers also offer a fantastic way to keep the Christmas table looking festive at meal time. Make Reindeer Beer.

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Christmas Cookie Plates Easy and fun to make, all you need to do is make a Butter Cookie mixture, roll it out and get the kids to create fun Christmas Biscuits using Christmas Cookie Cutters. Once the biscuits are baked, add these and a Candy Cane or two to a plate.

You could also add a chocolate elf… to make it even better  Cover with either cellophane or plastic oven bags and tie up with a beautiful Christmas themed ribbon.

Visit MumsDelivery to get details on how to create any of the above Christmas Gifts.

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Lifestyle

Christmas Books for Kids

Most parents will know the saying when it comes to Christmas gifts “Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read”.

In this world full of electronic gadgets kids still love getting a book in their Christmas stocking and we have been mulling over the best ones to recommend to you. These are our picks for Christmas 2016.

For Toddlers

This new board book Edition of Mem Fox and Emma Quay’s Baby Bedtime makes it a great pick for toddlers who can be a little bit rougher with books.

“There comes a time for sleeping, and sleepy time is now, so fall asleep my angel with a kiss upon your brow…”

This is a sweet bedtime lullaby for babies, toddlers and their parents. Full of cute baby elephants, it is a celebration of an animal’s affection for their young. We think this will become a bedtime favourite. For ages 0-3.

Books Always Everywhere by Jane Blatt “Book give, Book share, Book always everywhere…”

Books are great to read, but they can also be a chair, a hat, or even a tower for the very young. This is a celebration of books for very little kids – and a nudge to parents that it is never too soon to share a book with your children.

We love what this book stands for. Reading, sharing, exploring, giving… and reading everywhere rain or shine. Filled with cute kids and animals, this is a great read aloud for little kids age 1-3

For Preschool Kids

The Naughtiest Reindeer at the Zoo George and Amelia's family is off to spend Christmas with Granny and Pa. Amelia wants to bring Ruby her reindeer but her parents say Ruby has to stay at the Zoo whilst they are away.

Ruby starts missing her Reindeer friends. The Zoo animals explain to her how lonely Christmas day is there. So Ruby busts all the animals out of the zoo for a party.

Until the natural predators start to chase each other. Luckily Rudolph (her Reindeer brother) pops by to save the day.

We love Ruby, who is a very cheeky Reindeer. She always seems to be up to mischief.

This is a happy and heart-warming tale with an unusual twist at the end. It is told in rhyme which makes it a great read aloud.

Counting Through the Day by Margaret Hamilton and Anna Pignataro One cuddly teddy on a brand new day….

This lovely picture book counts through from 1-12, then features the numbers 20, and hundreds thousands and millions. It counts cuddly teddy bears, and leads the reader gently from morning to night. It has a rhythmic verse and kids will relate to the everyday items.

We like the things this team have decided to count like apples, bananas, eggs and of course hundreds of books! With gorgeous illustrations this is a great read aloud for Pre-schoolers learning to count. The child at the end of the story gets tucked into bed, so this is also a good bedtime read.

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Lifestyle

View our 2016 Gift Guide

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Lifestyle

Christmas Books for Kids (cont...)

For School Age Kids

Molly & Mae by Danny Parker and Freya Blackwood.

This is a beautiful story that captures the nature of childhood friendships perfectly. One minute children are the best of friends and then the next they have fallen out over something silly. It is learning to move past little upsets and to forgive each other’s faults that makes a good friend. With a nostalgic feel of times gone by, Danny Parker and Freya Blackwood have outdone themselves with this stunning train journey through friendship from the Country to the City. We highly recommend it for ages 3-7.

Hey Jack! by Sally Rippon Join Jack and his best friend Billie as they learn how to play matching memory games. Play Go Fish or Snap. Or curl up somewhere and read your 6 new Hey Jack Books! This gift set includes 52 Hey Jack matching cards and game instructions. The 6 books included are The Toy Sale, The Worst Sleepover, The Big Adventure, The Best Party Ever, The Crazy Cousins, The Worry Monsters.

Suitable for ages 5 and up, the card games included help develop concentration, memory and matching skills.

The Hey Jack books are a great series by Sally Rippon for beginning readers. They generally contain 34 chapters with big print and plenty of black and white illustration for kids ready to move on from picture books.

We hope that has helped you find a book to give to your kids this Christmas. We are always happy to help if you need suggestions for the little people in your lives! Cheers, Debbie Founder and Director Story Mama Children’s Books. All of these books and so many more can be found at:www.storymama.com.au

Christmas Activities

SantaLand -Entertainment Quarter (EQ), Moore Park.

Hosted in Australia for the very first time, SantaLand is a unique and exciting family event.

Experience the enchantment of the North Pole, Check out the FIFTH LARGEST Christmas tree in the WORLD, the only “talking tree” in Australia and an enchanted Alpine forest complete with Gingerbread Houses and Gingerbread Men.

Bring the kids and take a bounce around SantaLand’s Inflatable zone. Experience the Elves workshop, as they prepare toys for Santa’s delivery and marvel at the breathtaking performances from international award winning ice skaters on the perform ance ice rink stage!

SantaLand offers an affordable family day out in the heart of Sydney, with a single entry fee enabling you access to unlimited rides and ice-skating.

Daily from Friday December 8th - Saturday 24th December 2016 For more information visit www.santaland.com.au

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Lifestyle Skate with Santa Get your skates on with Santa this Christmas at the O’Brien Group Arena every weekend from Saturday 3 December to Saturday 31 December and see if you can keep up with the man in the big red suit.

The Christmas School Holiday offers great fun activities including all day unlimited public skating, a craft zone, free face painting and more! There will also be plenty of fantastic daily giveaways and prizes for everyone to enjoy.

Beat the queues and buy tickets online to make the most of your school holiday time with O’Brien Group Arena’s new automated ticketing system - http://www.obriengrouparena. com.au/tickets-pricing/

Kids Christmas Craft Handprint Reindeer

These are fun to make and super adorable for your family Christmas Tree!

You will need: • Brown Construction Card • Pipecleaner in a colour of your choosing • Hole Punch • Googly Eyes • Sparkly pom-poms • Sequins or small shiny stickers • Clag Glue -Pretty ribbon

Let's get started: 1. Trace around your child's hand on a piece of brown construction card. Cut out and write your child's name and the year on the back. Place the card before you with the fingers facing the bottom (as legs for the reindeer).

2. Pierce a hole at the top in line with where the thumb meets the hand. Thread a pipecleaner through this hole, twist the pipecleaner carefully and create an antler shape.

3. Using a hole punch, make a hole at the highest point of the palm section. Thread a piece of pretty ribbon through to make a loop for hanging the finished reindeer on the tree.

4. Stick the googly eye halfway along the thumb.

5. Stick the pom-pom at the end of the thimb as the nose.

6. Decorate with pretty sequins and anything else that catches your child's eye. Allow to dry flay before picking up.

These make lovely gifts for family members on the lead up to Christmas and keeps the Christmas spirit alive and things exciting for the kids. Get creative and have fun :)

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Lifestyle

Christmas Treats

Christmas Cupcakes!

Cupcakes are so versatile and perfect for portion control! :) There are plenty of options when it comes to making cupcakes Christmassy, and the kids love decorating cupcakes (and it doesn't take too long hehe).

Today, we've taken a box of Vanilla Cake Mix from Aldi and followed the directions on the box before tipping the mixture into cupcake cases and baking for 25 minutes.

Next, we mixed 1 cup of icing sugar & 1 tsp of milk to make a simple icing. We then coloured with red food dye, and spread on the cool cupcakes.

For decoration, we sprinkled green crystalised sugar on half (this can be bought in the baking section from the supermarket, or I believe it can be made at home too...).

And silver cachous pearls in the centre of the other half for a pretty, classy & festive look. :) Enjoy creating!

Kiwi Fruit Star Christmas Trees Super simple and a delicious summer fruity snack! Simply peel the kiwi fruit, slice it lengthways and have the kids cut out a star shape from each slice using a small star cookie cutter. Next push them along a toothpick to like a kebab, and fill the toothpick to the top! :) If you have a really small cookie cutter, you could cut out a smaller star out of a slice of banana for a star on top of the tree.

These recipes brought to you by Sara J.

Strawberry Santa Hats These are gorgeous, festive and so very easy to make!

Slice some banana, cut the tops off the strawberries and cut some white mini marshmallows in half. Then arrange all in groups on a plate and have te kids create their own delicious, mostly nutritious Santa hats by layering first banana, then strawberry then marshmallow half (sticky side down). I didn't use toothpicks as I found it to stick together easily, but they make it easier for little ones :)

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Lifestyle

Slow Cooked Leg of Ham in Ginger Beer Prep 15min Cooking time 6-8 hours Ingredients • 1 leg of Ham • 250ml Original Buderim Ginger Beer • 2cm grated ginger root • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar Method 1) Put all ingredients into your slow cooker and set on high.

2) Leave to cook for up to 6-7 hours (or until soft to touch) 3) Let ham rest for 10 minutes, and then slice.

4) Best served shredded with creamy garlic mash potatoes & steamed broccoli

GINGER BREAD HOUSE

Serves: Makes 1 House using mould. Alternatively bake in a tray and cut house shapes Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS 3 Cups Almond Meal 2 Cups Arrowroot flour Dash Salt 1/2 teaspoon Bicarb 1 Tablespoon Ground Ginger 100 grams Coconut Oil, softened slightly 125 grams dates 65 ml boiling water Dash Bicarb 300 grams Golden Syrup INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 170C/340F Place the dates in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.

Allow to sit for a minimum of 20 minutes (the longer the better).

Place the dates in the blender and process on high until a paste forms.

Add the golden syrup and blend on high for 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl lightly whisk together the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend until combined.

Add the coconut oil in small pieces and blend on high until combined (1-2 minutes).

Press the dough into the Ginger bread house mold. Alternatively bake in a tray and use these templates to cut house pieces. The dough should be approximately 7-10mm thick (1/3 Inch).

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven, but do not remove pieces from the mold until cooled.

View the full recipe here

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Lifestyle

Christmas Decorations & Light Tips Every year we look for the new cool Christmas item and thanks to technology we get better products every year and also lower cost manufacturing making products which were previously out of reach become affordable. It is now becoming cheaper to get good quality staple items like Christmas trees and Christmas lights.

When Purchasing a Christmas tree, I recommend looking for a style you like ideally in a “hinged” design which means the branches fold up rather than you having to pull them out and put them in every year. It saves you lots of time and hassle putting your tree together and you won’t lose any branches. Stay away from Christmas trees with “plastic” bases and always go for a metal base. Plastic legs break easily and so you could find yourself needing to by a new tree from a small bump.

Most stores sell Christmas lights but it’s important to make sure you get LED rather than the traditional bulbs. They are far better than the traditional style because the bulbs almost never die even after years of use and even if you do break one, the remaining lights continue to work where on the older styles, the rest of the lights will stop working. Some people don’t like LED because they don’t get that yellow colour however LED now also come in a “warm white” colour to imitate that style.

Solar lights are a great option that don’t need to be connected to power and they usually turn on automatically when they stop charging (i.e. when it gets dark). Historically the issue with solar was that they were generally not as bright as traditional lights. While that issue still exists, technology has improved and some retail outlets do have good quality bright solar lights.

can get them in light up reindeers and select other rope light products) yet you couldn’t get them separately until now. Twinkling lights require a small computer to randomly trigger lights to twinkle and this technology was cost prohibitive until now.

Laser projectors are also not new but its really only this year they have become relatively affordable.

A single projector can cover your whole house with green and red lights. A more expensive option will cover the house with Christmas silhouettes.

Its certainly an excellent way to decorate your house and I think you get a better effect out of one projector than hundreds of meters of Christmas lights.

Happy Christmas decoration shopping!

Written by Dean Salakas, Chief Party Dude at ThePartyPeople.com.au

Two Hot Product Predictions to look out for this year are: Twinkling Lights and Laser Projectors.

Twinkling lights are normal string or rope lighting where lights in the string randomly twinkle as opposed to standard lights in which there are set flashing sequences. While Twinkling, lights are not completely new, (you

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Lifestyle

Gift Ideas for Overseas Family Christmas is coming and for those of us who have family overseas, here are some ideas of gifts that you can easily send to them this Christmas.

1. Photos or Photo Albums

As they cannot be around to experience many of the memories I think sending through photos of the children as they grow helps these family members feel more connected to the children. I try to include notes and dates so that they understand how old the children are in each photo. Photo Albums are fantastic ‘brag’ books that your relatives can show to their friends.

2. Handwritten letter

Nothing surpasses a handwritten letter to let someone know that you are thinking of them and care about them. Make the letter a little more special by including some drawings or notes from the children.

5. Gifts Delivered

With so many businesses selling online these days, you can find companies that will deliver your gift to the recipient, in most cases with a card on your behalf. We have had flowers delivered to interstate and overseas family members on numerous occasions to cheer 3. A ‘Care’ Box them up and let them know we are thinking Creating a ‘care box’ does not need to be large or of them. While we are based in Australia, include a lot of items. Simply pick 2-3 things you you can look at our Business Directory know the recipient loves and include them in a box for fantastic online companies that deliver with a nice card. You can get boxes of all sizes throughout Australia and some may deliver from Australia Post and they can also advise cut off overseas. dates to post the items in order for them to reach your loved ones in time. Ideas of items to include I hope these ideas help and would love to in the box: Personalised Jar of Nutella, Tim Tams, hear what else you would recommend.

Tea, Hand Cream or something the recipient loves and would be homesick for.

Lorraine

4. Gift Voucher

Gift Vouchers are always a great idea – easy to send and easy for the recipient to get themselves something they would like. Be careful to pick a gift voucher that can be used in their country. Visa and iTunes vouchers are ideal as they are accepted in most countries.

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Lifestyle

Reviewed

Homedics Back & Neck Shiatsu Massager I do not have the time and budget to constantly go and get a massage.

The Homedics Back & Neck Shiatsu Massager is an ideal solution for this, offering simple yet effective massages in the comfort of my own home and at a time that suits me. Read more FuelBox Couples.

The concept behind this box is to reopen some doors and our eyes to our partner and their needs, and vice versa. I thought it would be a fantastic opportunity to add a further element to our relationship Monotony can sometimes feel that conversations are lost or unimportant, and it’s very easy to live in the “now” without taking the time to appreciate how far you’ve come. Read more...

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Rola Moca High Waist Tights – ‘Sundance’ Capri The RunFaster High Waist tights are really fabulous, the material is really great quality and the patterns and colours are so much fun. The superior quality material is also designed to ‘smooth’ any lumps or bumps! See what else it

does.

The Homedics Radiance Microdermabrasion is a salon grade beauty device that uses diamond tips to exfoliate, whilst the vacuum massage removes dead skin and stimulates regrowth of a new layer of skin underneath. Read what it

did for our reviewer...

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Food

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Food

Candy Cane Marshmallows Ingredients 1 ½ cups caster sugar 2 tbs McKenzie’s Gelatine Powder 2 tsp vanilla extract 200g good quality milk or dark cooking chocolate 26 candy canes Method 1. Grease a 3cm deep, 16.5cm x 26cm (base) slab tin. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 3cm overhang at both long ends.

2. Combine sugar and 2/3 cup of hot water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves and syrup is clear.

3. Using a whisk or fork, combine gelatine and 2/3 cup of cold water in a jug. Pour this mixture into hot syrup. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until gelatine has dissolved and mixture is clear. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).

4. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and gelatine mixture on high for 6 to 10 minutes or until very thick. Add vanilla and food colouring to reach desired colour and beat for 1 minute.

Spread into prepared pan. Smooth top. Set aside, at room temperature, for 1 hour or until set.

Lift onto board and cut into squares using a wet knife.

5. Melt chocolate in the microwave in one minute increments until melted and smooth.

6. Place 10 candy canes in a zip lock bag and crush into small pieces using a rolling pin. Place on a shallow plate.

7. Pierce each marshmallow with a fork and dip into melted chocolate until half coated. Roll into crushed candy cane to coat.

8. Set aside or place in the fridge until chocolate has set.

Serves: 20 pieces Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes

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Food

White Christmas Rocky Road

Roast potato and sweet potato trees

Add Christmas Colour to your Christmas table with Roast potato and sweet potato trees. Makes 8 trees (serves 4) Ingredients 1/2 cup white chocolate bits 90g pink marshmallows, chopped 90g white marshmallows, chopped 1/2 cup McKenzie’s Shredded Coconut 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pistachios recommended) 1/2 cup chopped soft raspberry lollies 500g white cooking chocolate, melted Method: 1.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.

2.

Pour melted white chocolate over the dry mixture and combine.

3.

Pour mixture into a foil lined baking dish and allow to set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4.

Remove from dish and cut into pieces to serve.

TIPS: Substitute the raspberry lollies with glace cherries or dried cranberries. * Sprinkle the Rocky Road with extra McKenzie’s Shredded Coconut.

Serves: 12 bite sized serves Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients 2 small sweet potatoes (long and thin are best) 4 chat potatoes (about the same width as the sweet potato) 8 small sprigs of rosemary Spray olive oil or olive oil and pastry brush Baking paper 8 tooth picks Method 1. Preheat oven to 200 oC and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Remove the lower leaves of the rosemary.

3. Cut potatoes in half and cut sweet potatoes into 2cm pieces.

4. Steam for 10 minutes or until just soft.

5. Leave to cool slightly.

6. On the baking tray place one piece of sweet potato topped with one piece of potato.

7. Secure with tooth picks.

8. Lightly spray or brush potato stacks with oil.

9. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden.

10. Remove tooth picks and replace with rosemary sprigs to serve.

Recipe by Foost.com.au nutritionist and mum of four veggie loving kids, Kate Wengier

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Fashion Lifestyle

Easy Fashion Accessories for the Stylish Mum

Fashion Accessories can be a great way to turn drab to fab. Little accessories and the tricks you can do with them will draw the eye of onlookers to your good features; accentuating those features you want to draw attention to and taking the attention away from those you don’t. Fashion accessories are also a great tool in converting plain clothing into more statement pieces.

Here are our favourite Mummy Accessories and what they can do for you.

Coloured Sunglasses: Sunglasses are an essential part of my outdoor life! They will draw attention to your beautiful face and are a statement piece atop plain clothing; just to add a little something more to your outfit! Better still, they protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.

Belts: Belts are brilliant for accentuating the bust line and are really perfect above high jeans/ pants (to hide that annoying jeans button that always pushes out my shirt)! They're also fairly cheap and are a great way to add different colours and change an outfit's look completely! :) Costume Jewellery: I particularly love long necklaces that have a layered effect because whilst dressing up my outfit, it also draws attention away from my (sometimes plain, occasionally marked, not always perfectly flattering!!) clothing. It makes me feel pretty and I like choosing what look I'm going for before hitting the shops or beach. I'm also a big fan of colourful clay beads because they're bright and happy, and my sons love them. Dangling earrings are great too, especially if you wear your hair up a lot of the time. They kind of join your face and clothing (if that makes sense) to create a flow-on effect from head to toe!

Nail Polish: Not to be overlooked, is nail polish! We all tell ourselves we don't have time, but it really is 10 minutes, and is a cheap and effective mummy pick-me-up: who cares if it's not perfect!

If I'm going to be wearing open toed shoes (ok, thongs or sandals...I live in them!) then I like my toenails to be painted, it feels like my look is complete! Plus, we all need a change otherwise the monotony will drive us mad: it's nice to step out of the shower and catch a glimpse of different coloured toenails. :) Don't be afraid to get creative; pastels are still quite popular, though I'm partial to midnight purple as it goes with most clothing choices! However, light and bright is fresh and lovely for summer.

Hats: They can be fashionable, and it is so important to protect your skin from prolonged exposure to UV rays. My advice would be to choose a hat that is comfortable, fits nicely (so it doesn't leave a mark across your forehead!) and is of neutral colour: no one has room for a dozen hats in their wardrobe! It also makes getting ready for the beach or park, or a walk along the esplanade that much easier...you don't have to worry about doing your hair! ;) Lightweight Scarves: They come in a variety of colours and patterns, and are relatively cheap and versatile in that they can be used to drape over your dĂŠcolletage; tie in your hair as a loose hair band; or cinch around your waist to add a bit of colour and layering to a plainer outfit.

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Fashion Lifestyle Hair Accessories: I'm a bit girly when it comes to hair accessories! I love the look of the elastic head bands that look a bit like wreaths, and pretty flowery hair scrunchies to keep my hair off my neck when it's hot! It's amazing the difference a head band can make to your entire look...and again, it draws the eye to your beautiful hair: always decide on a focal point and accentuate that.

-Shoes: Heels and wedges can be not only impractical once you've had kids, but also a little annoying! I tend to live in thongs in every month except the coldest month of winter (then I wear boots). Thongs are so easy to slip on and off, I find them comfortable, and they go with almost anything (in my mind at least, ha-ha)! My alternatives are strappy sandals that crisscross around my ankles/ calves (don't strap them so tightly it cuts into your flesh...it's not a nice look, and will be painful) and also the flat jewelled sandals. And ballet shoes, but it seems hard to find ones that are comfortable and don't leave blisters!

So there are my tips for accessorising as a mumma this summer! I find a lot of my accessories at markets as I feel they're a bit more unique and less mainstream, plus I like to support small businesses and quite often the items are truly beautiful! Happy hunting, ladies! :) Sara J xxoo

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Beauty Lifestyle

6 Essential HandBag Make-up items

We all have those days where we are rushing out the house; late, chaotic and not completely ready. Here are 6 make-up essentials to keep in your handbag at all times. Perfect for days when you need to apply make up on the run, freshen up or simply to keep your skin and face looking great constantly.

With toys, wipes and other supplies for the children already in my handbag, I don’t have space for a lot of make-up items so I limit the handbag essentials to these six.

1. BB Cream with Built in SPF

BB Creams are fantastic for busy mums. Designed to reduce redness, pigmentation and provide moisturisation with tinted coverage. They offer a number of beauty steps in one product and can be quickly and easily applied. Ensuring that you have a BB Cream with a built-in SPF will protect you against the sun and this has an added benefit of helping to slow the aging process.

2. Lip Balm

Tinted lip balms are fantastic to add a little colour to your face and to protect and hydrate your lips. Available in a range of shades, both in matt and gloss options, you can find a lip balm to suit your colour preference. Perfect to keep in your hand bag, you can apply throughout the day to look and feel great. They are also essential in the winter months where the colder weather can lead to cracked lips. Having a lip balm handy will help keep them protected.

3. Deodorant

With hot summers, keeping a small deodorant handy is a necessity. A little deodorant in your hand bag is perfect for those forgetful days, super-hot days or simply to offer a quick freshen up throughout the day.

4. Mascara

If you don’t have time for eye colour in the morning, applying Mascara quickly in the car or bathroom while out and about will give your eyes definition and a great ‘natural’ look. It offers a good pick up for your face and is easy to do.

5. Powder

Powder offers a quick, easy way to freshen your look throughout the day. As the day wears on, your skin may be prone to getting oily. Powder will quickly provide a matt look and a little extra concealment. It can also be used as a finishing layer for your makeup.

6. Hand Cream

Crocodile hands and legs are not very attractive. Keeping a small tube of hand cream within your bag enables to you moisturise and protect your skin whenever you have 5 minutes. I find it particularly useful when I look down while out and about to see my legs looking very dry. I can take care of them immediately without forgetting nor worrying about their scaly look throughout the day.

These are my 6 make-up essentials and I would love to know what you would add or change from the list for your handbag make-up essentials. Lorraine

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Beauty

New To the Market 4D THREADS - Virtual Reality Apparel Range

Australian apparel distributor Hotsprings is excited to unveil the first-to-market, interactive fashion lavel 4D THREADS. The family-friendly range involves an immersive fashion experience incorporating virtual reality as the garments spring to life through the lens of a smartphone.

The concept is simple - start by wearing your 4D THREADS apparel, and simply download the free 4D THREADS app from the app store or google play. The unique fashion experience begins once you glide your smartphone over the product, the modern software recognises each and every print to display a series of animations to the user! With accessible price points of $8.00 to $25.00, the brand will be exclusively stocked in store and online at Best & Less nation-wide!

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Beauty Lifestyle

Beauty Spot

shedding light on beauty tricks, products and more Philips MoistureProtect Hairdryer Featuring infrared technology that detects moisture in the hair and automatically adjusts its temperature to avoid over drying the hair.

Philips MoistureProtect Dryer, helps to preserve natural hydration resulting in smooth, shiny and frizzfree hair.

RRP $139. Available from Myer

Olive skincare presents a range of four new gift sets: ‘Body Original’, ‘Body Pomegranate’, ‘Hands’ and ‘Daily’. Each set has been designed to include a combination of Olive’s top sellers and newly released products, creating the perfect gifts this festive season. Olive’s new gift sets include products from the new Pomegranate range, which are filled with antioxidants and nutrients, which boosts the skin’s elasticity and help prevent the signs of ageing. RRP: $19.95 Available: Terry White Chemists, Discount Drug Stores, Chemhouse and other leading pharmacies.

Visit www.simuolive.com.au for more information MARY KAY Into the Garden Pedicure Set Step out in style with strappy sandals and toes exposed!

All feet goodness packed in a charming gift bag. Gift bag includes foot scrub, foot fizzies, colourful toe separators and an emery board. RRP: $50.00 Available from: http://beautydirect.marykay.com.au

Café Skin Scrub – pink edition Café Skin Scrub is proud to turn pink for the 'Sistas'! A huge $1 from every bag sold will be donated directly to Priceline's Sisterhood Charity. While raising money to support your 'Sistas', your lumps and bumps will also thank-you with caffeine being named as cellulites number one enemy! RRP $14.95 Stockist: Priceline

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Beauty VS for MenBeard Trimmer A Revolutionary Patented 3D Cutting System, the new VS for Men Beard Designer delivers ultimate beard and stubble perfection. It’s revolutionary 3D cutting system has 3 double-sharpened rotary trimming blades cut 2x faster with 5 million cutting actions/min** for perfection in every pass and no irritation. This breakthrough trimmer delivers beard and stubble greatness thanks to an electronic adjustment feature with 50 precision trimming settings from 0.4mm to 12mm. Result: you control your look and the finish easily and accurately. RRP $299.95 For more info: www.vsformen.com.au. Stockists: Exclusive to Shaver Shop Mary Kay for Men: High Intensity Gift Set Intensely Irresistible. Delight him with this multitasking hair and body wash set. Set includes: MK High IntensitY Hair and Body Wash and MK High Intensity Sport Hair and Body Wash, all wrapped up and ready to go in a handsome mesh drawstring bag.

RRP: 35.00 Available at: http://beautydirect.marykay.com.au

NIVEA Men Originals Regime Pack Just like a pair of socks and jocks, you can never go wrong with NIVEA Men Classics on Christmas Day. His skin will feel like new with the Originals selection, leaving it looking healthy and nourished.

Pack Includes -Originals Exfoliating Face Scrub 75ml -Active Clean 3 in 1 Shower Gel 500ml -Originals Moisturising Shave Foam -Originals Protective Moisturiser SPF15 75ml RRP: $19.99. Available from ALDI NIVEA MEN Essentials Pack For the loved one who has everything, give the gift of essentials, a selection of our most popular NIVEA Men products.

Pack Includes: -Originals Refreshing Face Wash 100ml -Power Refresh 3 in 1 Shower Gel 500ml -Originals Shave Gel 193g/200ml -Originals Protective Moisturiser SPF15 75ml -Dry Impact Aerosol Deodorant 250ml RRP: $24.99. Available from Woolworths

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Travel Lifestyle

Tips for Road Trips with Kids

Kids aren’t really designed to sit still for extended periods of time...which they’re sure to remind you every few minutes throughout your road trip! Whilst stopping for breaks regularly (every hour if possible) may seem like you’re forever stopping and not really getting anywhere fast, remember that whilst we’re all eager to get where we’re going, the holiday begins for your kids when you leave home: not when you reach your destination.

Portable DVD Players are a definite godsend; particularly if you’re unable to stop as often as the kids would like. Just ensure you lay down the ground rules before using them: for example, if you only want them used for one movie per day, or who’s choosing the movie, etc. I’ve discovered that having something new to watch for the trip isn’t always a great idea...sometimes the reliable old favourites are the best option! ;) Snacks are a great way to keep kids busy. Like us parents, when kids are bored they tend to eat a lot more than when they’re occupied. It’s a good idea to pack plenty of snacks, as not only will you save money by not buying food along the way, you’ll also have control over the sugar content that your child will be consuming. I find this makes a big difference and will make or break your road trip: a child hyped up on sugary processed foods is a lot less likely to be content to remain stationary for, well, any period of time!

Also ensure your kids drink plenty of water to avoid headaches, lethargy and crankiness. Some snacks our two boys aged 2 & 4 enjoy include: sultanas; carrot sticks; celery & peanut butter; rice snacks; cheese dippits; vege chips; pretzels; milk arrowroot biscuits; grapes (always cut in half so they don’t choke!); a whole banana; apple slices; mandarins; wholemeal Vegemite sandwiches cut into small squares for fun; savoury mini muffins and cheese stringers.

I find regular stops make it easier to plan activities for in the car, too: for instance, for one hour everyone has reading time, then a stop for a run around, then when getting back into the car start a new activity, just to keep things interesting! It’s essential to have an array of activities & entertainment ideas for the duration of the trip (I can’t stress this enough). These will be age dependant, but some items can be used and adapted to become age appropriate.

We love sensory bags (a special bag with a see-through plastic window where there are different items inside) where you can call out an item and the kids need to find it amongst the rice through the plastic window and tick it off the list. I’ve also been known to half fill a slip lock bag with PlayDoh and sticky tape the entire thing so it cannot be opened in the car: the boys love squishing it through the bag. Also, remember the old Etch-A-Sketch? They’re still fantastic for keeping kids occupied, are easily portable and completely mess free! If you’re night traveling, glow sticks are really good for the kids too (depending on age, of course!).

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Travel Other activities ideas include: colouring, drawing, sticker or activity books (best to have a clipboard folder for each child and clip the book to it so they have a hard surface to lean on); Where’s Wally type books; reading books; fun cd’s; cheap binoculars from the dollar shop are popular with my boys; kaleidoscopes; pretend camera so they can “photograph” things as you drive past; flash cards (these are great because there are heaps of games that you can base around them, and it’s not too hard for the passenger in the front to participate (which kids love!); balloons filled with flour for textile, squishing and shaping fun (you can make your own or buy them done)...

I recommend checking out your local dollar shop for inspiration if you’re really stuck, and if you really want to make the most of the items, wrap them as pass-the-parcel, with a few items each (inc a small toy or something, I use mostly things they already own ha-ha, and also a snack each) then start and stop the car radio as you’re driving and the kids pass it amongst themselves. It does make a bit of mess, but hey I’ll take a bit of mess over yelling or fighting kids any day ha-ha!

And the kids love the novelty. :) Happy travelling, and remember to drive safe and be prepared. :) Sara

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Xalien the Purple Alien Whilst on Earth, Xalien learns all about this new planet and all the strange habits of its human beings; often resulting in and both unusual and humorous situations as she tries her hardest to fit in.

Along the way, Xalien teaches the three children about life on her own planet, and that each and every being is special in their own, somewhat unusual, way.

RRP: $16.99 Available: www.michellepath.com.au

Emily's New School A Children's novel in paperback format 124 pages suitable for ages 6 12. Emily's New School is book no 2 in the Emily's Adventures series.

Meet Emily Thompson she is not your average 10 year old. Emily has moved from Melbourne to Port Macquarie. Together with her best friend they go on an adventure. Who knows what surprises and adventures await? RRP: $13-95 with FREE Postage Available from: www.emilys-adventures.com

As work/life pressures increase, Switch Off offers a practical guide to help you disconnect & refocus.

In the new book, Switch Off (Wiley, Feb 2017, $27.95), occupational therapist and author Angela Lockwood provides a practical guide to help you re-energise and refocus. Drawing upon years of experience working with both individuals and organisations, Angela shows how to integrate the skills of slowing down into your professional and personal life so you can do what you need, when you need it

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The Art of Mindful Origami Soothe the mind with 15 beautiful origami projects and accompanying mindfulness exercises The Art of Mindful Origami extends the concept of mindful, art-therapy colouring using 15 origami projects, ranging in difficulty from basic to complex, as tools to develop mindfulness. Each project starts with a brief description and background to the model. Subsequent pages give instructions for folding the particular model. For difficult exercises, the book details ways of staying focused and calm and using mindfulness to deal with frustration or distraction. This is an important part of mindfulness and leads to a range of benefits for wellbeing and performance. Once each model is folded, the book then outlines various related exercises that can help to further develop mindfulness. High-quality patterned origami paper and colouring sheets, which can easily be torn from the book, are included to make this the ultimate gift for anyone wanting a calmer, more stress-free life.

Author: Dr. Richard Chambers RRP: $19.99 Available from www.exislepublishing.com.au and wherever great books are sold.

Here Be Dragons Two parents take the personal challenge to better balance their work and family lives. Their humorous accounts and the lessons learned have deep meaning as they raise their children and strive to leave their mark on the world. Filled with nautical metaphors and plenty of humour, Here Be Dragons regales the adventures and advice of two parents just trying to stay afloat.

Here Be Dragons is available from www.exislepublishing.com.au and wherever good books are sold. RRP $29.99.

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Win, Win, Win! Win one of 5 Tupperware Oceanic Picnic Sets This 16 piece picnic set features a generous sized bag and a mixture of perfectly sized storers for transporting picnic goodies, plates for serving as well as tumblers for enjoying a picnic drink. All pieces fit comfortably inside the insulated basket, with room to spare.

Valued at $199 we have 5 to give away!

Win 1 of 4 Bunch O Balloons ‘water fun’ prize packs Looking to cool down with your friends and family this Summer and have some water fun? Then check out the biggest selling toy to hit the markets this year – Bunch O Balloons from ZURU available now in Australia. Bunch O Balloons allows you to quickly and easily fill and tie 100 water balloons in just 60 seconds.

We have 4 Bunch O Balloons ‘water fun’ prize packs to giveaway, each valued at $65!

Win a Nickelodeon Prize Pack.

We have 3 of these cool and fun DVD prize packs to give away.

Each pack contains 1 DVD each of: • Blaze & The Monster Machines: Rev Up And Roar • Shimmer & Shine • PAW Patrol: Pups Save Christmas

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The Secret Life of Pets is a hilarious animated comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. Set in bustling Manhattan, when loyal terrier Max’s (Louis C.K.) big-hearted owner, Katie (Ellie Kemper) brings back an unwanted surprise; an oversized, boisterous mutt from the shelter named Duke (Eric Stonestreet), Max must learn to adjust and share his pampered lifestyle with his new unbearable “brother.” Available on DVD from 5 Dec Just Dance Whether flying solo, or busting a move with friends, Just Dance® can turn any space into an instant dance floor. Featuring fresh hits from Justin Bieber, Fifth Harmony, Sia and Major Lazer, plus blockbuster classics such as “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, Just Dance 2017 is fun for all the family. Unrestricted by additional accessories like cameras, Aussies can join in on the global phenomenon by simply downloading the Just Dance Controller App on their smartphone and following the motions of on-screen dancers to learn a variety of fun, choreographed routines. WiiU edition of the game is available for $79.95

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Traditional Muesli Bars Mother Earth Traditional Muesli bars available in three delicious varieties: strawberry and yoghurt, honeycomb and yogurt, and chocolate chip.

Packed full of tasty goodness, the muesli bars are a perfect anytime snack and an ideal addition to any lunchbox. RRP: $5 for a box of 12 Available from: Woolworths

The Dreambaby® Stroller Fan, with its soft foam fins, is ideal to safely keep your baby or toddler cool and is the must-have travel accessory this summer.

It can be attached to a pram, on the side of a playpen or even to

Target specific areas that require RosehipPLUS® Rosehip Oil with our new applicator.

RosehipPLUS® Rosehip Oil is a 100% pure and natural Certified Organic Rosehip oil, cold pressed from the seeds of the Rosehip (Rosa Canina). It helps to support healthy-looking skin and can be used on the face and body.

RosehipPLUS® Rosehip Oil is rich in naturally occurring vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. RRP $14.95, available in Chemist Warehouse and leading pharmacies and health food stores nationwide. Available for purchase online at Nourished Life and the RosehipPLUS online store

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ecostore Good Soap for a Good Cause Give the gift of giving with ecostore’s Good Soap for a Good Cause, a healthy alternative to selling chocolates or holding a sausage sizzle to raise money for local community group (i.e. Footy team, school etc). The soaps retail for $2.50 each, with $1.00 from each unit sold contributing to the fundraising team’s nominated cause.

RRP: $36.00 for a 24 pack carry case http://www.ecostore.com.au/pages/fundraisingAU

the handlebars of their favourite tricycle! RRP $12.95. Visit Dreambaby http://www.dreambaby. com.au/ or call (02) 9386 4000

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The Dreambaby® No Tools, No Screws Safety Value Packs with 35-pieces contains everything you need to help make your home and your home-awayfrom-home, as safe as possible for your little ones.

As nothing requires screws, it’s an excellent choice when in rental accommodation. All are easy to install and then remove when you leave! RRP $24.95. Visit Dreambaby http://www.dreambaby. com.au/ or call (02) 9386 4000

Crafted Blends delightful new range features five delicious clusters and muesli flavours, including: Berries & Toasted Coconut, Vanilla Maple & Flaked Almond, Pink Lady Apple & Pecan, Pear Almond & Vanilla Bean, Mango and Papaya & Macadamia. RRP: $6.99 There are now available in Coles and Woolworths

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allocacoc PowerCube ReWirable USB The one-of-akind allocacoc PowerCube ReWirable USB leads the industry in design providing 4 power outlets and 2 USB ports for the ultimate in desk-side and household organisation. Not only this it is a great travel companion with an abundance of power outlets perfect for those on the go. Together with a set of travel plugs the ReWirable is the world’s smallest travel adapter with multiple outlets.

RRP $39.99 Stockist: Big W, Target and www.funtastic.com.au

NO ISSUES NO ISSUES are tissues, toilet paper and paper towels made 100% tree free from soft renewable and sustainable bamboo grass. RRP: soft tissues (RRP $3.95), travel tissues (RRP $ 2.69), toilet tissues (RRP $4.95) and paper towels (RRP $5.00).

Available from: Coles, Woolworths and Harris Farms Markets

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Tommee Tippee Jungle Paradise Non-Spill Cup range Featuring jungle characters in fun colours.

Learning to drink should be fun but it doesn’t have to be messy. The clever two-piece valve allows liquid to flow easily through the spout when baby wants to drink, but keeps the cup fully leak-proof between sips. Available in various styles and with different spout types. Suitable from ages four months to three years. RRP $11 Available from national retailers.

Bulla’s Choc Bar Jelly Top is a nod to the classic Australian flavour combination of raspberry jelly and ice cream, covered in a delicious milk choc coating. Just like our Choc Bar Jelly Tops, Bulla’s Jelly Splits combines a traditional zingy raspberry jelly covered in a refreshing icy lemonade shell. Kids (and adults who can’t resist!) will be reaching for these finger-licking frozen delights all summer long. RRP from $6.15.

A baby’s skin is much more delicate than your own. WaterWipes are the only wipe made using just water and a drop of grapefruit seed extract.

That’s why 97% of midwives believe WaterWipes are suitable for use on the skin of newborn babies*, and why WaterWipes are the only baby wipe to be approved by Allergy UK. Available from Coles, Woolworths. leading Pharmacies and Baby Stores.

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