Busy Mums Magazine Nov17: Toy Test Results, Christmas, Holidays with Kids & Summer Heat

Busy Mums Mag

Volume 18 November 2017

Toy Testing Results

Summer Tricks

Christmas 2017

Flying & Road Trip Tips

Editors Note As your typical mum, I am writing my Editor’s note as I try to get my family ready for an upcoming interstate trip where they are in the bridal party. My days are long, my time is rushed, I feel stressed; yet my children are feed, safe and I believe; happy. The chaos will end in a few days when the holiday begins and until then I have to believe that I am doing all I can to ensure that everything runs smoothly now and when we get back and have to rush to two birthday parties within hours from landing.

If this sounds similar; keep reading as we have designed our Magazine to help Busy Mums. Please enjoy our Magazine and let me know if you have any topics, interests or suggestions on how we can make it better, more engaging or interesting for you. We are always looking for suggestions and content, so if you want to share your Motherhood Journey with us, we would love to hear about it!

Wishing you a happy balanced life!

Lorraine

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

Toy Testing Results Developing a growth mindset School Holiday Gardening Activities Children’s Product Reviews

Christmas 2017 Non-Chocolate Advent Calendars Christmas Eve Boxes Staying on a Budget DIY Handmade Gift Ideas Christmas Budgeting Christmas Treats

Fashion Tips to cope with Summer Sweating Tips to hid Mummy Tummy Summer Skincare Best sheets to keep cool over summer

Travel Flying wtih Kids DIY Travel Activity Kits 10 Best Car Trip Games

Other New Books New and Noteworty items

Parenting

2017 Toy Testing Results

In the lead up to Christmas, MumsDelivery in conjunction with the Busy Mums Magazine, ran a Toy Testing event where we gathered a range of families and asked them to test and rate some of the top toys for Christmas 2017. Each Toy Tester was asked to rate the toys on a 1-5 Scale on the following factors: Safety: How safe the toy is.

Age Appropriateness: How suitable the toy is for the ages suggested.

Quality: The perceived quality of the toy.

Price: Based on the toy, how is its recommended retail price point.

Want Factor: How appealing is the toy to the child.

Below is each toy we rated, MumsDelivery thoughts on the toy and a comment from one of the testers. The higher the percentage values of the Test Scores, the better the result.

Toddler Toys GAZILLION GIANT BUBBLE MILL RRP $29.99 Create massive bubbles at the push of a button with the Gazillion Bubbles Giant Bubble Mill! This special machine and specially formulated bubble solution produce bigger bubbles than ever before in seconds. Simply pour Giant Gazillion Bubble Solution into the reservoir, push the button, and watch in amazement as the wheel turns and blows truly GIANT bubbles into the air. Available from Toys R Us and other speciality stores.

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Parenting

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: All the children liked it, it’s safe and suitable for all ages.

Safety: Excellent – 85% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 88% Quality: Good Quality – 78% Price: Fine – 53% Want Factor: Likes it 70% “Best bubble machine I’ve seen. Love big bubbles and not easy to tip over”

Globber EVO 4-IN-1 RRP: $160

The scalable and clever EVO 4-in-1 offers pushchair, ride-on and scooter modes that grow with your child as they develop – suitable for ages 12mths to 6 years Featuring: • A steering lock button on front of deck (safe and simple handling) for steering locking system to make learning easier.

• Height adjustable T-BAR handlebar with 3 height positions • X-CROSS deck design, strengthens the deck structure and improves directional turning performance to the T-BAR handlebar.

• Low deck for better stability which improves the child’s performance. Less tiredness means longer riding times.

• Handlebar grips made from durable, single-injection material, for better comfort and more resistance.

• Long and covered rear brake which allows better braking performance while preserving the back wheel.

• The directional pivots (supports on the front wheels) are mounted on ball bearings for easier assisted steering.

• 2 x 121mm front wheels, and 1 x 80mm rear wheel in transparent HQ (high quality) and HR (high rebound) PU (polyurethane), with nylon cores, rolling on high quality ABEC 5 608ZZ bearings.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: The Globber Evo 4 in 1 scored over 90% for having an excellent quality product which is very age appropriate. It also scored well in both safety and the children wanting one.

Safety: Good – 72% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 92% Quality: Excellent – 92% Price: Fine – 56% Want Factor: Likes it- 65% “Impressed with how easy it is to change from one mode to another”

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Parenting

Goetz 33cm doll: Baby in pink RRP: $115

From the German Doll maker Goetz this baby doll has a soft cuddly body and vinyl limbs so that she’s easily posable.

Available from Good To Play Toys www.goodtoplay.com

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: The Goetz Baby rated well in Safety, being age appropriate and of good quality. The price was seen by many as a deterrent.

Safety: Excellent – 90% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 92% Quality: Good Quality – 93% Price: Expensive – 45% Want Factor: Loves it- 85% “As a girl, I loved my babies, so for me this baby would become a best friend and special companion to a little girl for years”

Skrallan Talking doll 45 cm RRP: $100.95

Sweden’s most popular doll for 45 years, her soft body makes her lovely to hug. Touch her stomach and she talks 25 phrases that incite play and giggles. Available from Send a Toy www. sendatoy.com.au

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Ideal to encourage multilingualism. The girls love this realistic doll which scored well for price, safety and being age appropriate.

Safety: Excellent – 89% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 94% Quality: Good Quality – 80% Price: Good- 75% Want Factor: Loves it- 87% “My daughter loved playing with her long hair”

Nuts and Bolts Activity Set from Miniland $34.99 The set promotes eye-hand co-ordination, colour and shape recognition and reasoning with large nuts and bolts using a series of activity sheets to present different challenges.

Available from: Kidstuff www.kidstuff.com.au

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: This is a good quality, safe, age appropriate toy which is ideal to build fine motor skills.

Safety: Excellent – 90% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 90% Quality: Good Quality – 80% Price: Good- 70% Want Factor: Likes it- 63% “The picture boards are great at encouraging toddlers to learn their colours and shapes”

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Parenting

Pre-School Toys Globber Limited Edition My TOO Fix Up Titanium RRP: $120-140

Perfect for those kids transitioning from a 3-wheeled scooter to 2 wheels – suitable for ages 6+ Featuring: • High Density non-slip EVA Grip • Non-folding structure therefore more resistant and better for children who only rarely fold up their scooter.

• High quality and ultra-reinforced front structure (fork, headset, bracket).

• 3 level Height adjustable T-bar handlebar (precise guidance) • Handlebar grips made from durable, dual-injection material, for better comfort and more resistance.

• 121mm wheels in transparent HQ (High Quality) and HR (High Rebound) PU (Polyurethane) with nylon cores, rolling on high quality 608 ZZ ABEC 5 bearings.

• Long and covered composite rear brake which allows better braking while preserving the back wheels.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: The quality is outstanding achieving a 100% result. It is age appropriate, safe and has a good price tag.

Safety: Excellent – 82% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 86% Quality: Excellent – 100% Price: Good- 72% Want Factor: Loves it- 72% “My children would love to see this under the Christmas Tree”

LUNA PETUNIA TALKING DOLL RRP $44.99 luna-petunia-toy-awardsLuna Petunia is ready for anything, whether it’s making a new friend or having incredible adventures in Amazia.

This 35cm Luna doll is articulated for play and features her signature, brightly coloured outfit and even has hair you can brush and style. And when you push on her magical necklace, you’ll activate sounds from Amazia and some of Luna’s signature phrases from the show! Just stop, breathe, and believe!

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A modern looking, age appropriate doll that girls enjoyed playing with and they liked the talking function.

Safety: Excellent – 80% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 90% Quality: Good Quality – 80% Price: Good- 70% Want Factor: Likes it- 63% “My daughter hasn’t stopped talking about Luna’s blue hair”

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Parenting

TONKA CAR CRUSH ESCAPE PLAYSET RRP $18.00

Take your Tonka Tinys on an epic adventure through the Car Crush Escape Playset!

Featuring a working crane, car crusher and catapult, you can crush it and launch it to your heart’s content! The Car Crush Escape Playset includes an exclusive Tonka Tinys vehicle and is compatible with every vehicle in the line. All Tonka Tinys playsets can be connected to expand your Tonka Tinys world! Appropriate for ages 5 years and up.

Collect them all!

Stockist: Available at BIG W, TOYS R US, TOYWORLD & other toy stores.

TONKA BLAST & DASH QUARRY SET RRP $18.00

Take your Tonka Tinys on an epic adventure through the Blast & Dash Quarry Playset!

Race down the slide, take a perilous ride over the toppling tower, and activate the real working detonator! The Blast & Dash Quarry Playset includes an exclusive Tonka Tinys vehicle and is compatible with every vehicle in the line. All Tonka Tinys playsets can be connected to expand your Tonka Tinys world! Appropriate for ages 5 years and up. Collect them all! Stockist: Available at BIG W, TOYS R US, TOYWORLD & other toy stores.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Both Tonka sets offer a well-priced toy. Age appropriate and safe, it is ideal as a stocking filler or the perfect present for the car loving child.

Safety: Excellent – 80% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 80% Quality: Good Quality – 80% Price: Good- 92% Want Factor: Likes it- 68% “My 3-year-old loves the concept”

Super Sand RRP: From $19.99 An all new, 100% natural alternative to traditional dough, designed to create the ultimate sand moulds! Each Super Sand Set includes a variety of moulds to create all kinds of sand designs including mega sand castles and super cute sand animals. Best of all it never dries, so you can use it time and time again! Super Sand Starter Pack RRP: $19.99, Super Sand Classic Pack RRP: $29.99, Super Sand Animals Pack RRP: $39.99, Super Sand Castle Pack RRP: $39.99. Suitable for ages 4+.

TOY TESTING RESULTS: MD Says: Suitable for all ages, good quality, safe, well priced and most children really liked the Super Sand.

Safety: Excellent – 80% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 95% Quality: Good Quality – 85% Price: Good- 75% Want Factor: Likes it- 73% “Suitable for children younger than 4. Great for stimulating your senses”

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Parenting

Mini Fetch – RRP $29.99

These fully stretchable 7” figures look just like the original Stretch Armstrong toy collection, and they can stretch up to 5x their size. Grab hold and stretch their legs; release and they retract back to their normal size and shape. Super strong! Super stretchy!

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Children of all aged loved this toy. Seen by parents as a little overpriced; it offers an interesting, portable, safe toy.

Safety: Excellent – 75% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 93% Quality: Good Quality – 68% Price: Expensive- 40% Want Factor: Loves it- 80% “I was surprised at how much the children loved this toy. They were amazed at how it went back into its original shape”

Kruseling Sofia Deluxe Fairy Set RRP: $69.95

Sofia is one of 6 adventure dolls. By day she is an ordinary girl, and at night she transforms into one of the Kruseling Fairies fighting nightmares and spreading sweet dreams. Available from: The Nile https://www.thenile.com.au/search?s.q=Kruselings

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A more realistic looking small doll that is very pliable and can be placed and moved to be everything a little girl wants.

Safety: Excellent – 85% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 90% Quality: Good Quality – 83% Price: Expensive- 45% Want Factor: Loves it- 83% “My daughter wouldn’t put this toy down She just loved the Kruseling Doll and the clothing seemed easy enough for her to change”

Owl Dart Board from Cayro Games RRP: $30.00

This great dartboard comes with 3 softly finished Velcro balls. Safe for kids and playing inside the house. Available from: Peter’s of Kensington www.petersofkensington.com.au

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A game ideal for toddlers and pre-schoolers that will help with hand-eye coordination. Very safe and the children enjoyed it.

Safety: Excellent – 88% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 88% Quality: Good Quality – 76% Price: Fine- 60% Want Factor: Loves it- 88% “I like aiming for the different numbers”

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Parenting

Combi Colour from Cayro Games RRP $19.95

Cognitive development game – learn colours and improve reflexes. Place the cards face up, throw the dice and find the card with the same colour combination before anyone else. Available from: Love to Spoil http://stores.ebay. com.au/lovetospoil

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A sweet toy for pre-schoolers that is good at helping them identify colours, numbers and patterns.

Safety: Excellent – 95% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 93% Quality: Good Quality – 75% Price: Great- 80% Want Factor: Loves it- 80% “My oldest son also enjoyed playing this game and it is simplistic enough the boys could play together without adult intervention”

Shnooks RRP $10.00

Get ready for the opening surprise! Pop the bubble, shake and bring your new best friend to life. Shnooks magically grow 8x in size from their shnubble-bubble pack! Style their luscious hair with their collectable comb and friendship hair clip, and they’ll SHNOOK after you! Six loveable colored Shnooks to collect, all with their own personalities.

Shnooks, character and accessory packs. Available at Big W.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Its great price and simplistic design makes it safe and easy to play with. The young girls liked it.

Safety: Excellent – 80% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 85% Quality: Good Quality – 90% Price: Expensive- 90% Want Factor: Loves it- 75% “It’s so fluffy and soft”

Cars 3 Tablet, RRP $29.95

Help Lightning McQueen win the big race with the Race & Learn Tablet™. Interact with your favourite Cars 3 characters as they come to life in fun and engaging activities on the LCD screen.

Seven exciting games introduce letters, objects, spelling, number order, counting, logic and more. Find letters to help Lightning McQueen gear up for the race, spell out words on road and crowd signs, count objects as you help clean up Doc Hudson’s garage, spell out words to pass other cars in the race and much more! Press the character buttons to meet and interact with Lightning McQueen and his friends. The tablet also introduces beginning typing with a QWERTY keyboard.

Get on the fast track to learning with Lightning McQueen Available from Kmart and selected toy retailers.

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Parenting

TOY TESTING RESULTS: MD Says: An age appropriate high quality, great priced toy for pre-schoolers.

Safety: Excellent – 100% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 88% Quality: Excellent – 92% Price: Great- 92% Want Factor: Likes it- 72% “I like playing the games with Lightening McQueen

Toys for School Age Children Sassi Junior – Learn Travel and Explore Dinosaur puzzle and book RRP $31.95

Make the puzzle and from the book learn about each of the gigantic dinosaurs, how each species is different, how a fossil is made and so much more. Available from: Kidstuff www.kidstuff.com.au Puzzle Culture www. puzzleculture.com.au

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A good quality thicker puzzle that comes with interesting information for growing minds.

Safety: Excellent – 96% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 82% Quality: Good Quality – 84% Price: Great- 80% Want Factor: Likes it – 74% “Not your standard puzzle. The oval shape makes it more challenging and the booklet makes it more interesting”

Smiggle Metallic Lantern Light RRP: $34.95

This metallic lantern has shimmering, colour change 3D lights, with a convenient carry handle. And its battery operated for portable party lighting fun. Available from: All Smiggle stores and at www.smiggle. com.au

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: The Smiggle Lantern is so appealing to kids, as they love Smiggle, nightlights and stars.

Safety: Excellent – 85% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 88% Quality: Good Quality – 72% Price: Expensive- 42% Want Factor: Likes it- 50% “All the children liked the lantern, however they see if more as need to have/necessity rather than a toy”

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Parenting

Smiggle Christmas 2017 Sketch Kit RRP: $22.95

Available in five chirpy designs, each kit contains a sketch book, 1 lead pencil, a sharpener, 30cm fold up ruler and 12 gel pens. Available from: All Smiggle stores and at www.smiggle. com.au

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: The Smiggle Christmas Sketch Kit offer value for money from Smiggle, and since its Smiggle the kids just love it.

Safety: Excellent – 84% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 100% Quality: Good Quality – 80% Price: Great- 68% Want Factor: Loves it- 80% “A great travel pack and good value from Smiggle”

Bush Babies Dreamstars, RRP $16.95

Welcome to Bush Baby World, home to your brand-new Bush Baby friends.

Bush Baby World is a magical place full of cute and cuddly Bush Babies. There are many different regions across Bush Baby World where different types of Bush Babies live – each with their own stories and characters. The Bush Babies are the guardians of dreams. Nestled in a magical world, they nurture and protect the Dream Tree and ensure that it casts out its dream dust.

TOY TESTNG RESULTS:

MD Says: A reasonably priced toy that is suitable for children over many ages that girls really like.

Safety: Excellent – 90% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 85% Quality: Excellent – 85% Price: Good – 68% Want Factor: Likes it- 64% “Another soft toy that the kids seem to want to add to their collection”

Woofy Whoops RRP $39.95

Combine suspense with technology for some hilarious fun with the 3D interactive game and app Woofy Whoops. Simply spin Woofy the Dog to determine which player has to pat him. But be careful!

If he lands on you, you just might get sprayed! The Woofy Whoops app provides players with the ability to re-live hilarious game moments through the game’s video play-back function.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: An appealing idea for tech loving children. It seems harder to execute through small issues like the base moving.

Ideally a game better for larger groups.

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Parenting

Safety: Good – 73% Age Appropriate: Fine – 60% Quality: Fine – 60% Price: Fine – 42% Want Factor: Likes it- 49% “The children were intrigued with the concept, however when spinning and being sprayed on, the results were not as big as we thought they would be”

Foileez Stickers RRP $15.00

A new and unique line of foil sticker activities that allows kids to express their personal style and creativity. It’s as easy as peel, foil and reveal! Kids create their own tropical-themed stickers with colourful rub-on foil. Age 5+

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: By far the most popular toy the children were begging for. Very well priced and suitable for many ages.

Safety: Excellent – 96% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 93% Quality: Excellent – 88% Price: Good- 76% Want Factor: Begging for it- 91% “Great for rainy day! Would love more foils to ensure you don’t run out before you have done all the stickers”

National Geographic Shark Tooth Dig Kit RRP: $15.00

Excavate 3 genuine shark teeth fossils from the ocean’s deadliest predators! This hands-on kit includes genuine specimens, custom digging tools and learning guide. Age 8+

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Boys loved the shark tooth kit which is well priced and offers entertainment for a long time.

Safety: Excellent – 80% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 90% Quality: Excellent- 85% Price: Great- 80% Want Factor: Likes it- 60% “My son was fascinated with the shark tooth found in the kit”

ZURU Tangle – RRP: $4.00

Twist, shape and fidget with ZURU Tangle. ZURU Tangle has endless uses – they can be a puzzle, a movable sculpture, a desktop toy, a fidget, a brain tool, an anti-stress device, accessory or even a cosmic art toy with special powers! The possibilities are limitless! Available in four styles, each with 6 colour combinations: Classic, Crazy, Metallic & Sparkle.

Available in all leading stores.

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Parenting

TOY TESTING RESULTS: MD Says: A good stocking filler with a great price point and a high want factor for school aged children.

Safety: Excellent – 91% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 89% Quality: Excellent- 91% Price: Fantastic- 100% Want Factor: Likes it- 73% “Love that it comes apart too. Great stocking filler. All ages loved it””

Pokémon Trainer Guess RRP $29.00

The all new amazing electronic guessing game! Just think of a Pokémon and answer the questions, and Trainer Guess will figure out what Pokémon you are thinking of. This awesome game features voice recognition so you can talk to it too. There’s all 151 original Pokémon to capture, add to your collection and tick them off in your guide book. How many Pokémon can you catch?

Suitable for ages 6+.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Most of the toy testers liked or loved this interactive toy. It is very safe and age appropriate and rated well for quality.

Safety: Excellent – 93% Age Appropriate: Good – 75% Quality: Good – 80% Price: Fine- 58% Want Factor: Likes it- 65% “They kept coming back to this toy. I think they would play with it a lot.”

Mölkky RRP: $59.95 Europe’s #1 Best-selling Outdoor Game! This addictive outdoor throwing game can be played on grass, gravel, beach, dirt or any outdoor surface. All you need is an outdoor space, a few friends, and a Mölkky set. Groups of all sizes and ages can play together. The official Mölkky rules allow for up to 26 players per game, so invite all of your friends to play. The first player to knock down exactly 50 points wins the game! Suitable for ages 6+.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: All players including parent enjoyed this game which is suitable for all ages in different ways and made from quality wooden pieces.

Safety: Excellent – 96% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 92% Quality: Excellent – 92% Price: Fine- 64%

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Want Factor: Likes it- 64% “Great family game for all ages” “Looks great for an adult’s party!”

Parenting

Test Match RRP: $59.95 The classic Aussie table-top cricket experience where you can play all forms of the game, including test match, one day, and 20/20. The ball has real bouncing action just like a real cricket game, with improved action figure players with batting actions; fast bowling, slow bowling, and a fielder that can be positioned to intercept the ball. Guaranteed not to get washed out! Suitable for ages 6+.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: All players including parent enjoyed this game which is suitable for all ages in different ways and made from quality wooden pieces.

Safety: Excellent – 86% Age Appropriate: Good – 66% Quality: Good – 80% Price: Fine- 60% Want Factor: Likes it- 60% ” Much better than it used to be. My child kept going back to it!”

Sassi Travel Learn Explore Rome Book and 3D puzzle RRP: $34.75

Read about the history of Rome and take a tour of the city in the book, then assemble the 140-piece puzzle which has the 10 key buildings standing vertical creating a city reference at a glance.

Available from: Puzzle Culture www.puzzleculture.com.au

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Not a book, not a puzzle; this toy both intrigues the mind and provides a fun activity.

Safety: Excellent – 100% Age Appropriate: Good – 70% Quality: Good – 80% Price: Good- 70% Want Factor: Likes it- 60% “Great for the child that loves logical and informational toys”

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Parenting

Toys for Tweens & Teens Globber MyToo K18.0 Teenager & Adult Scooter RRP $300- 350 Perfect for older children and adults, the Globber MyToo K18.0 Features: • Revolutionary Folding Feature which makes it easy to transport and thanks to it wheel locking feature, it can be stored vertically.

• Easy to ride Kleefer system- simple, quick, piston assisted and folded by a gentle kick.

• A wide, curved handlebar (48 cm) adapted for daily use provides real comfort.

• Deck Design and Conception: The rigidity of extruded aluminum. Wide and low to the ground to resist against wear from intensive use.

• Adjustable Handlebar: Adapted to different body types, can be adjusted to three heights.

• Large 180 mm wheels made of HR & HQ PU (high rebound, high quality polyurethane), with nylon cores, mounted on ABEC 7 bearing.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A great quality toy that all adults and teenager would love. Fantastic quality to make the initial outlay good value for money.

Safety: Excellent – 90% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 90% Quality: Excellent– 95% Price: Suitable-Good- 60% Want Factor: Loves it – 85% “My husband and his friends would love this”

Limbo Hop RRP: $39.95

Keeping kids active by challenging users to limbo under or hop over the sweeper, LimboHop is a fun family game ideal for indoor and outdoor play. Perfect for boys and girls aged 7-10, LimboHop requires no batteries and packs away for simple and convenient storage after play.

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A great idea and it would be fun to play in a large crowd.

Safety: Good– 70% Age Appropriate: Good – 80% Quality: Good– 68% Price: Fine- 58% Want Factor: Likes it – 67% ” My 5-year-old went back 3 times. Great for indoor and out, although I am slightly worried it would break”

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Parenting

Wild Science Weird Slime Goo Lab RRP: $28.00

Master polymer reactions to make drippy and bouncy slimes and gels. Create Tadpole and Leech soup, Rat Guts Noodles, Jellyfish, Blood Clots and more. Workbench and tools included. Does not use Toxic and Illegal Borax. Age 8+

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: Boys just love slime and the idea of creating their own slime is appealing to even the most active boys.

Safety: Good – 85% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 90% Quality: Good– 80% Price: Suitable-Good- 85% Want Factor: Loves it – 80 % “This would be a great school holiday activity”

Spin to Sing $39.95

Following the success of SelfieMic, Spin to Sing is the latest unique game from Worlds Apart – the talent show game where the best performer wins! To play, download the FREE Spin to Sing app on your smart phone and spin the mic to select a performer to sing a track selected from within the app or smartphone. Each player rates the others performance, and the player with the highest end average score wins!

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: A great concept, ideal for teenagers that offers more than just a singing app.

Safety: Excellent – 95% Age Appropriate: Excellent – 90% Quality: Good– 78% Price: Suitable-Good- 78% Want Factor: Likes it – 70% “My daughter loves karaoke, so I can see the appeal of this game”

Wild Science Lip Balm RRP: $28.00

Wild! Science is a range of collectable science kits with attitude!

They are designed to have great play value while exploring important scientific concepts and skills. Melt expensive berry wax beads, cosmetic oils and other ingredients together to make custom balms. Make multi-coloured, flavoured, shimmer effect lip balms in a Crystal Compact. Age 8+

TOY TESTING RESULTS:

MD Says: This game is great for creative girls and can be used numerous times as they create and enjoy their lip balms.

Safety: Good – 76% Age Appropriate: Good – 83% Quality: Good– 70% Price: Fine- 56% Want Factor: Loves it – 83% “My daughter loved the idea and just wanted to keep making more”

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Parenting

Developing a ‘growth mindset’ in your children

In the book Mindset, Carol Dweck discusses the fixed mindset versus the growth mindset.

People with a fixed mindset believe their talent and capabilities in life are a given and not a lot of things can be done about them. People with a growth mindset believe that every skill can be trained and feel they are the master of their destiny.

Her decades of research and many experiments show two important things. First of all, people can be influenced to take on a fixed or growth mindset before they take on a task. Secondly, individuals or groups with a growth mindset almost always outperform the ones with a fixed mindset.

In one experiment, she showed that students who were praised with “you must be really smart”, take on a fixed mindset. Whilst students that were praised with “you must have worked really hard” take on a growth mindset. When they were given a new test, students that were praised for their effort outperformed students that were praised for being smart. Students praised for their effort were also willing to take on more challenging tasks.

Recent research now shows that children who are praised for being smart, or who are told they have a reputation for being smart, are more likely to be dishonest and cheat. The fixed mindset therefor doesn’t only have an impact on performance and taking on challenge, it also has a moral impact.

These are the exact reasons to make sure as a parent you praise effort in your children rather than outcomes.

After reading Dweck’s book some years ago, I started giving more praise for effort to my children. As a mental strength coach, I also tell my girls that it is ok to fail and feel a bit scared when taking on daunting tasks. I was the proudest father this week. After a school concert, my 6-year-old daughter was asked by her teacher in a video “what is one thing that you learned”. She answered, “when you go in front of an audience, it is ok to be scared”. She also said that she

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“was proud to have overcome her fears”.

Being aware of your fears and facing them, overcome them, is a very important life skill.

Proof reading my new children’s book My Strong Mind for about twenty times might have played a role. In this book for 5-8-year old’s, the main character Kate tells herself when she has to do a show and tell in front of the class; “it’s ok to be scared”. And when she’s doing a cartwheel in front of her friend, Kate says to herself; “it’s ok to try and fail”.

It is ok to try and fail and it is ok to be scared, for a child or an adult. We have to acknowledge those feelings and deal with them, or even turn them in to our favour.

Enough adults struggle with this element of their mental strength. However, every parent can start now with developing the growth mindset in their children, support them to overcome their fears and increase their mental strength.

Simply start by praising your children’s effort and not just tell them they’re smart.

Niels is a St Kilda dad of 2 girls, aged 7 and 9.

He is a mental strength coach and founder of www.mentalToughness.online He has written a self help guide for adults to increase their Mental Strength and recently published a childrens book My Strong Mind.

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Parenting

School Holiday Garden fun for Kids Your garden is an awesome place for your family to connect and for your kids to learn and grow.

From understanding the life cycle of a plant to growing food, kids will gain a broad understanding of the principles used in a garden for it to thrive. There are lots of fun holiday projects you can do in your garden with the kids as well, some that can really benefit your garden’s ecosystem.

My kids love reading through kids gardening books and finding really cool activities to do. This is a great starting point because it gives your kids autonomy and allows them to take ownership.

Involving kids from the start encourages them to stick with it and if you follow this concept with growing food, you may be surprised when you see them eating vegies straight from a plant.

Here are a couple of hands on projects for you to try at home: Bug hotel Kids either love or hate bugs. Let’s face it, when a bug flies at you it’s not the most pleasant thing to experience. Bugs are so beneficial to our ecosystem, and teaching our kids the difference between good bugs and unwelcome guests in your garden will help them understand more about nature.

Our garden is full of pests, and they are drawn to our lush healthy veggie patch right when it’s looking good. Organic gardening encourages the natural process in nature without chemicals and building a bug hotel to attract the predator insects is a great way to help nature with a natural pest control.

What you’ll need · A frame to house it · A roof · Smooth, cylinder shaped wood · Any materials with holes you have at home that you can recycle There is no standard size or structure to use for an insect hotel. Talk to your children about what types of insects might visit and what style of accommodation they might like. You can drill into logs (just don’t go all the way through) or use any natural materials you can find. If your hotel is big, make sure you add shelves. Let the kids get creative and decorate their bug hotel just how they like.

Bug hotels offer the solitary native bees and wasps a place to take shelter during extreme conditions and allow predatory insects a place to breed. Beneficial insects will help you overcome pests in your garden by attacking the pests that destroy our plants.

Have a go at building a bug hotel with your kids and teach them a core principle of biodiversity at the same time.

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Birdseed ornaments I love watching birds in our garden and teaching my kids all about our native birds. A great way to attract native birds into your garden is by making some really easy hanging bird seed ornaments.

What you’ll need (approx. 4-5 depending on the size of your cutter) · 1 cup of bird seed mix (check which seed is right for your local native birds) · 2 tablespoons of flour · 2 tablespoons of water · 1 ½ teaspoons of golden syrup · Drinking straw · Kitchen twine or string

Mix it all together and then press out on a piece of baking paper about 1 cm thick. Using a cookie cutter cut the birdseed layer and remove the excess from the cutter. Now, using a drinking straw cut out a hole at the top of the shape and leave to dry overnight. The next day gently flip it over and let the other side dry. When dry use a length of string and feed through the hole at the top.

Hang where birds can perch to feed.

If you’re looking for some creative ways to keep the kids occupied over the summer holidays, get them busy in the garden and check out my blog for other family friendly ideas.

Author: Rebecca Searles is the founder of Family Garden Life. Even as a child, she treasured the moments when she could escape to the garden, now she loves sharing this with her kids.

Family Garden Life a blog directory for mums who want to bring their family closer to nature but aren’t sure where to start.

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Parenting

Reviewed Monopoly Gamer Appealsingto the younger generation as more and more children become ‘gamers’ at younger ages.

Monopoly Gamer is a completely new game with new rules and the entire way of playing the game has been changed while keeping some of the old favourites.

LeapFrog Stack & Tumble Elephant This is a very endearing toy. It is one of James’ favourite toys as well as mine. Catchy Level: Extreme. Annoyance Level: Low Read more in the Review

Bunch O Balloons revolutionised the Water Balloon industry by creating water balloons that could fill and self-tie in seconds! To say I love Bunch O Balloons is not an exaggeration; they really are a busy mums dream come true. They are easy, quick and within 1 minute you can have 100 water balloons filled and tied ready for action. Need I say more? Read the Review

Bespoke Baby Clothing The Bespoke Baby Zebra Sleeping Bag is also made from 100% pure cotton and feels super soft. Being made from cotton makes it breathable and ideal for summer sleeps. Find out more about the Bespoke Baby Clothing in our Review

The LeapPad Ultimate is a fantastic tablet for young children. It offers a kids tablet that is tough, durable and safe

Whoops! is one of my favourite words by Tanya Curtis and Desiree Delaloye This book is about children making

for kids, that also educates them as they play. I like how your child inadvertently learns as they play. Throughout the games, the LeapPad provides interesting facts that don’t inhibit game play. Read the Review to

mistakes and that it is okay to make mistakes.

They don’t need to do things perfectly. They can say whoops or say whoops to themselves when they make a mistake and think about what can they learn from their mistake.

Read the Review

find out more

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Read the Review

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Lifestyle

Perfect for everyone in your family, we’ve rounded up the best gift ideas for you this Christmas. No matter the budget, we have something for everyone. From Christmas Gift Ideas for your Teacher, to Stocking Fillers, Baby pressies, Children’s toys and gifts for Mum and Dad; Christmas Shopping made easy!

View our 2017 Christmas Gift Guide

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Lifestyle

Christmas 2017 4 Great Non-Chocolate Kids Advent Calendars Whilst I love the idea of counting down to Christmas and the excitement and anticipation to see what's behind each door of an advent calendar, I'm not a fan of the daily dose of chocolate that it usually entails. With this in mind; I decided to look into what other non-chocolate advent calendar options were available.

DIY Advent Calendars

I like the idea of starting a new tradition; creating a fun, relevant family advent calendar. As my craft skills are limited; I prefer the option of investing into a good quality keepsake advent calendar that I can fill each year.

Little Advent Boxes has a lovely keepsake advent calendar with 24 drawers that can be filled with fun and creative Christmas activity items or toys. At only $49.95, the investment is similar to a non-chocolate disposable calendar and offers an environmentally friendly option that can be modified yearly to suit your children’s changing likes. Because my time is limited; I chose to get the advent filler packs from Little Advent Boxes at the same time. Each advent filler pack contains 12 items designed to fit into the Little Advent Boxes Calendar. There are 3 themes to choose from and I chose to get the Xmas Craft and the Fun Games/Toy Pack (there is also a building block pack) as I know that these would be great for my kids. The Advent Filler Packs sell for $32.95 from: www.littleadventboxes.com.au If you would prefer to fill your advent calendar yourself, here are some great ideas of items you can include: Ooshies/Shopkins & similar, Lego men, Activity coupons, Christmas ornaments, Stationery items, jokes, bouncy balls, glow sticks, If making your own Advent Calendar is not for you, there are some seriously cool Advent calendars available. I like the look of the following: Smiggle Advent Calendar Filled with a range of Smiggle goodies, the Smiggle Advent Calendar is great for School Aged and Crafty children. Considering the individual price of many Smiggle Items, this Advent Calendar is good value for money. Read the Smiggle Advent Calendar Review RRP: $39.95 Available from: Smiggle stores Australia wide and www.smiggle.com.au

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Lifestyle Crayola Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar Perfect for the preschoolers and the crafty child, the Crayola Christmas Countdown Activity Advent Calendar includes fun craft projects, gifts, and coloring activities to help kids count down to Christmas. The 24-day calendar features an exciting new activity each day so kids ages four and up can stay engaged all season.

RRP: $24.00 Available from Big W

Lego City Advent Calendar Celebrate the holidays with LEGOÂŽ City, featuring 24 different surprises, one for each day of the season, including Santa's sleigh and presents, a snow scooter, Christmas tree, helicopter, shop, cookie stand and much more. Includes several different builds, 7 Mini figures and a dog.

RRP: $49.95 Available from: Bricks to the World

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Lifestyle

Christmas Eve Box Christmas Eve Boxes appear to be the up and coming Christmas tradition of this generation.

The idea is to take a shoe box or a similar sized box; wrap it nicely in wrapping paper (or better yet, cut Christmas wrapping into pieces and have your kids stick the pieces to the boxes until the boxes are completely covered), then put a few things inside to help your child celebrate Christmas Eve, or get into the spirit.

I absolutely love the idea behind this, and whilst some people go all out and buy different things each year for the boxes, I figure it all gets used once yearly so the kids don't need it all to be new: they haven't seen it at all since last year, after all!

There are plenty of ideas for the contents of Christmas Eve boxes, and there's sure to be something that will fit your family. I find it easier to do a family Christmas Eve Box rather than separate ones for each child, then it's just like a Christmas treasure chest :) I do need to use a larger box, though. In our box, we have: -Christmas I -Christmas books -Christmas activity books -Christmas stickers -Christmas pj's -Milo -Christmas cups (for the Milo's) -Macadamia Biscuits On top of being great fun, and an exciting way to spend Christmas Eve as a family, Christmas Eve Boxes are a great way to store Christmas things that usually don't really have a place.

I’d love to hear if you like the idea of Christmas Eve Boxes and what items you would include?

Sara

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Staying on Budget This Holiday Season

1. Start Buying Now One reason that holiday spending gets out of control is lack of planning or waiting until the last minute. Starting early allows you to take your time to find the best deals and to buy when things are on sale. Spread out your spending by purchasing a gift or two every few weeks until the holidays. This will not only allow you to have a less stressful holiday, it will also help you stay on budget.

2. Sign-up for Deal Alerts While daily and weekly emails from your favorite retailers can start to clutter up your inbox, it’s worth dealing with over the holiday season. As stores start rolling out their holiday promotions, they regularly send out emails with coupon codes and special deals for subscribers.

3. Use Pinterest Pinterest has a Price Drop Alert feature when you save Buyable Pins to your boards. If the price drops on the item you’ve pinned, Pinterest will send you an email alert with the price drop and a prompt to purchase the item now. Pinterest is also a great place to learn how to DIY your own decorations and gifts for the holiday season, saving you a lot of money in the process.

4. Get Free Shipping In 2017 National Free Shipping Day will be on Friday, December 15th. This is a once-a-year event where thousands of stores offer free shipping on all purchases made that day and promise receipt by Christmas.

This is a great way to save a good chunk of money while getting your last-minute holiday shopping done.

5. Head to the Dollar Store If company is coming over for dinner (or just staying for a few days), that’s a list of expenses you may not have seen coming. Dollar stores are a reliable mainstay for plastic plates, napkins, cups and cutlery. As for the food, warehouse stores like Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale and Costco have extra-large pies, lasagnas, loaves of bread and other stick-it-in-the-oven solutions for meals.

Sarah Hollenbeck is a Shopping and Savings Expert at Offers.com. Offers.com is a shopping and savings database that conducts in-depth research and analysis on a variety of topics from consumer spending habits to industry and retail trends and more. We source the best available deals and coupons for over 20,000 merchants every day.

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2017 Christmas Gift Guide

Gift Ideas for www.mumsdelivery.com.au everyone in the Family 27

Lifestyle

Christmas on a Buget

It’s fair to say that we all want to be active players this upcoming Christmas – whether that be showering the grandkids in gifts, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, hosting the best Christmas dinner known to man, or even just spending time with the ones we love the most – all in the hopes of making this festive season one to remember.

And, without undermining the importance, we can often place too high an expectation and significance on just one day, which can easily lead us to overspend.

We live in a credit-driven consumer society with much of

the marketing messages pounding at us on every corner painting a picture of 'enjoy now and pay later'. And, the reality is most of us do pay later and for a long time to come...

Because of this many of us dread the lead up to Christmas as we scrounge together the funds to make it the special day society has told us we must. We throw out our budgets; chuck multiple items onto lay-buy that we just can’t afford, and put everything else onto the credit card just to get us through.

However, here are some ways with which you can cut costs and prepare for this Christmas season that won’t break the bank, without compromising on enjoying the festive season with family and friends.

Identify spending leakages Much of our money stress comes from unnecessary spending! Whether it is treating yourself to a take-away coffee on the way to work or those weekly avocado on toast brunches at the local café – these types of indulgences add up quickly. And, while you may be telling yourself that it’s just a few little treats here and there, they could be the difference of a few hundred dollars in the bank when Christmas time rolls around.

By tracking your money, you’ll be able to identify areas where you can tighten the spending, save some money, and give yourself some breathing room as you start your Christmas prep.

Investing in ‘experience’ presents instead of buying ‘stuff’.

The media has the ability to influence our spending habits, throwing around lifestyle and consumer driven products with the message that you need ‘things’ to live a fulfilled life. Yet, how many of our fondest memories are ones that are shared with ‘things’? Instead of purchasing ‘stuff’ this year, advocate for experience based-presents that will long surpass the value of any materialistic item: a family holiday, trip to the zoo, an impromptu visit to an adventure park or even a skydive. Although they won’t completely replace your need for ‘things’, these types of memories will long surpass the value of ‘stuff’.

De-clutter and sell: Although, we hate to admit it, most of us have unnecessary junk that’s been sitting in the shed or garage collecting dust for months now. And, while they seemed like a worthy investment at the time, everything has a shelf life. Why not make the most of this and sell off the things you don’t need or use. Not only is this a great way to recycle and make some extra money, but it will help de-clutter your life, which is a great way to reduce stress, especially in the lead up to Christmas.

Buying presents which accumulate value over time

Read the rest of the article here

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Lifestyle

Reindeer Beer Giving a 6 pack of beer for Christmas is a nice and easy Christmas Gift idea for many dad’s, uncles and friends. Now you can upgrade your Christmas Beer gift by converting it into Reindeer Beer. Quick and easy it makes the gift seem much more thoughtful.

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.

Christmas Plant Gift

Homemade-Christmas-GiftsThe 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 do these easy Christmas Crafts here

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Food

Christmas Treats Kiwi Fruit Star Christmas Trees

Super simple and a delicious summer fruity snack! These Kiwi Fruit Star Christmas Trees are great to get you feeling festive and/or as a party snack for guests.

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.

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.

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Chocolate Cherry & Candy Cheesecake Ingredients 250- Biscuit 75g butter to combine 250-cream cheese ½ cup caster sugar 600ml thicken cream 200g milk chocolate 300g cherries 225g candy 1 Tablespoon gelatine ¼ cup water—for gelatine

Method: Crush biscuits in a processor & combine with 75g melted butter, Mix well.

Spread over base of dish firmly, put the lid on and refrigerate for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Chocolate mixture In a saucepan add 300g cream & chocolate, stirring till melted. Allow to cool.

Cream cheese mixture: Combine cream cheese, caster sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer. Add 300g cream and mix for a further minute.

Sprinkle gelatine over hot water and mix, cool mixer, do not allow mix to set. Combine with cream cheese mixture.

Combine chocolate mixture and cheesecake mixture together.

Pour over the biscuit base and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, remove the lid if using a Delicake Master base and Sleeve; decorate with cherries & candy then remove the sleeve.

Recipe from Julie at Delicake

Strawberry Santa Hats We love Christmas and these Strawberry Santa Hats 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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Fashion Lifestyle

Tips to cope with Summer Sweating With summer temperatures hitting well into the 30ies in Australia; Summer Sweating is an unfortunately reality for many mums.

While staying inside air-conditioned rooms may be the best option, sometimes this isn’t always possible. For the days you have to be outdoors and the temperature continues to climb, here are some tips to cope with Summer Sweating: Clothing • Wear loose, non-restrictive clothing.

Summer Dresses are a great option.

• Wear lightweight, breathable materials like cotton and bamboo.

• Wear light or very dark colours as they make sweat marks less obvious • Invest in good quality deodorant that works for you and your body • Avoid wearing your hair out as sweating opens your pores, and having hair resting on sweaty skin can cause bacteria entering the skin pores making pimples and also feeling uncomfortable • Don’t wear materials that don't breathe well, like denim, lycra, leather etc.

Food & Drink • Drink loads of water! Keep a water bottle handy throughout the day to stay hydrated and cooler.

• Frozen grapes make a great cool snack and are also great for cooling down your drink without diluting it.

• Reduce consumption of hot drinks and spicy food.

Living • Get a better night’s sleep by choosing summer appropriate bedding. Cotton and Bamboo bed sheets help promote good air circulation and reduce sweating.

• When particularly hot, run wrists under cold water to cool quickly.

Products that can help: • Use Talcum powder or ZSC Dusting Powder in areas prone to sweat; for example, under your breasts.

• Oil absorbing sheets can help reduce the sheen on your face.

• Disposable underarm sweat absorbing pads are available if this is a big concern.

• Apparently (we have not tested this) 3B action cream can help reduce sweating by blocking sweat glands.

• Look at clothing options specifically available to reduce chaffing.

For those who feel they suffer from Hyperhidrosis (excess sweating), there are laser and injection options to help block the sweat glands. We suggest speaking to a medical professional should this be of interest to find the best treatment options for you.

Sara and Lorie

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Fashion

Products we found to help with Sweating Bandelettes® Thigh Bands You don’t have to suffer from annoying chafing or irritation in your inner thigh area anymore thanks to Bandelettes. They offer superior comfort and feel sexy to wear.

Read the Reviews to find out more!

RRP: USD $14.99

Bridgets Anti-Chafing Undergarments Utilising advanced 3M moisture-wicking technology, Bridgets’ lightweight anti-chafing shorts are guaranteed to deliver a seamless, un-detectable fit that wicks away sweat instantaneously. Unlike traditional shapewear and hosiery, Bridgets have been purposely designed using silky-soft, lightweight, breathable nylon microfiber and spandex, by expert knitting technicians and designers, to ensure a comfortable fit for all body shapes and sizes.

Available from: https://bridgets.com.au/ RRP: $35.00

Percale Sheet Set Luxury long-staple cotton percale sheet set. They are lightweight and breathable, with the classic cool and crisp feel of percale. Perfect all year round but especially good for hot summer nights.

Available From: https://www.thegoodsheet.com.au RRP: $189 (Queen)

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Fashion Lifestyle

Best sheet fabrics to keep cool and comfortable on hot nights We are well and truly into the warmer months now and with summer around the corner, we can look forward to plenty of time enjoying the sunshine. But beautiful, sunny days are often accompanied by sweltering hot nights and that spells sweaty, uncomfortable sleep. Staying cool and comfortable throughout the night could be as simple as changing your sheets.

Choose natural fibres There are two main ways fabrics can help keep you cool: by being breathable which helps prevent perspiration or by absorbing or wicking away any sweat that does occur. Fabrics which are most breathable and absorbent are typically made from natural fibres such as cotton or linen.

This is because synthetic fibres such as polyester do not ventilate well and they repel water, leaving you hot and sweaty.

Your main options in natural fibres are as follows:

antimicrobial and anti-fungal. Because the fabric is so light and soft, the sheets are very drapey so if you prefer your sheets to feel more airy, cotton may be a better choice.

Linen Linen is woven from the fibres of the flax plant and is very breathable which is important to staying cool. The flax fibres are hollow inside which allows them to hold more water than other Cotton natural fibres so they will also wick sweat away Cotton is a tried and true safe choice for cool bed very effectively. Linen is often woven more loosely sheets. Cotton fibres love water which means than other fabrics which has a natural cooling they will absorb or “wick” perspiration away from effect because they don’t trap heat as much. your body. Cotton is also a great choice for both warm and cold climates because it lets cool air Silk pass through in summer and it traps heat when A less common, but very luxurious choice of it’s cold. No need to swap sheets out with the fabric for sheets is silk. It is very light weight and seasons, plus it’s very durable and affordable. instantly feels cool to the touch however silk is The thing to watch out for is the weave of the tightly woven and because of this tends to trap sheets. Typically most sheets seen in stores are heat. This is accentuated by its tendency to drape made from a sateen weave which is silky and closely around your body. Silk sheets also are soft but conversely they are less breathable not very absorbent which is great if you’re trying and tend to cling and drape around your body, to keep the cream on your face instead of the trapping heat. pillowcase but they won’t wick away sweat very For hot nights, your best choice is a percale well. weave which is cool and crisp and won’t cling to your body as you sleep.

What about thread count?

Higher thread counts are often thought to mean Bamboo higher quality sheets. A quick search on the Bamboo sheets are very lightweight and internet will reveal this is not always true, but breathable and because bamboo cells hold and more importantly for hot summer nights, high absorb even more water than cotton, they feel thread counts are definitely not cool. Thread cool to the touch and are very absorbent. A counts in the 300-400 range will mean lightweight, bonus is that bamboo fabric is also naturally

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Fashion

breathable sheets, and the higher you go the heavier and denser the sheets become because the tightly packed fibres do not allow air to circulate freely.

Fabric choice aside, a final considerations for a more comfortable sleep on a hot night is to use light coloured sheets. Light colours reflect light and will feel a little cooler to the touch, especially important if you have west facing bedroom windows.

Now that you know which fabrics to choose for cooler sleep, we hope you can enjoy summer nights as much as the days.

Article by The Good Sheet.

The Good Sheet makes beautiful, minimalist bedding basics for simple living. www.thegoodsheet.com.au

Beauty Spot shedding light on beauty tricks, products and more Milky Foot.

A luxurious at-home pedicure treatment, which removes hardened skin through its intense peeling action after just one application. Formulated with milk ferment filtrate and mandelic acid (derived from almond milk).

It boasts a 3D fitted boot to maintain contact between feet and the formulation, providing a more comfortable and rapid treatment. RRP: $29.95 and $32.95 for active formula Milky Foot X. Available at Chemist Warehouse, Priceline Pharmacies and online www.milkyfoot.com.au

The Philips Lumea Prestige The Philips Lumea Prestige IPL hair removal device emits high-intensity light pulses (IPL) that cause hair follicles to shed naturally, leaving behind amazingly smooth skin. Most treatments take less than 15 minutes. Suitable for both face adnd body treatments

Read the review

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BABYLISS PARIS HOMELIGHT COMPACT An Easy to Handle IPL Hair Removal Device that works with your smartphone/Tablet to Guide you through each treatment, every step of the way. Read the Review

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Fashion Lifestyle

Mummy Tummy? 10 Styling Tips On How to Hide Your Tummy

Well done, you have created a new life into this world, however the down side is your body has seen better days. Not to worry, it does not matter what shape your tummy is in these 10 styling tips will have you looking and feeling better faster than Justine Bieber getting a date on a Friday night.

Style Tip 1: Do not wear a belt around your tummy. This only draws attention to the area you want to hide.

Style Tip 2: Wear a necklace. This draws the eye towards the top part of your body.

Style Tip 3: Only buy good quality fabrics. Avoid cheap, clingy fabrics like polyester that cling to the body.

Style Tip 4: Try a wrap around dress. This design suits most body shapes, skims over the tummy and gives you shape.

Style Tip 5: Wear pants that are high wasted and seamless around the tummy. High wasted design will tuck you in. You do not need any extra padding or detail around your tummy so look for leggings or pants that are flat/seamless around the tummy.

Style Tip 6: Invest in good underwear. Find high wasted underwear that can hold you in. Yes like Bridget Jones style.

Style Tip 7: Leave your jacket unbuttoned. When you button your jacket it cuts you off making you look shorter and again your eye goes to your stomach.

Style Tip 8: This tip is called illusion dressing. What you need to do is wear a dress or top in a light colour then over the top wear a dark long light weight unbuttoned cardigan over it. This makes the middle part of your body will look slimmer as you eye is drawn to the light part of the outfit.

Style Tip 9: Wear a print. Prints disguise your tummy providing the top or dress suits your body shape.

Style Tip 10: Look for good cuts in tops and dresses. For example, maxi dresses, long tops, baby doll dresses will all do the trick.

Hope my advice helps. Preparation is key but worth the effort. May you feel beautiful.

Article from Stacey Sage. Her extensive background in fashion, mixed with her desire to empower women in finding their unique beauty through style and soul alignment which is when your thoughts, actions, feelings and style are in sync with your heart’s desires has created a powerful movement of self-acceptance for females everywhere. Stacey Sage is a mentor, speaker, worldwide women’s alignment catalyst and the creator of multiple transformational online programs. You can learn more about Stacey at www.staceysage.com

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Beauty Lifestyle

Summer Skincare

The warm sunny days of summer are fast approaching and it’s time to shine a light on our current skincare routine. After a cold and windy winter your dry skin may be more than ready for some TLC. Not sure where to start? Specialist dermatologist at Platinum Dermatology Dr Jacqueline Matulich is here to help! An expert in adult and paediatric skin care, her far-ranging abilities in all aspects of dermatology include medical, surgical, and cosmetic. Dr Matulich is an astute diagnostician who can provide customised solutions, tailored to her patient’s individual needs.

Dr Matulich’s top tips for maintaining healthy summer skin: 1. Protect yourself Protecting your skin from constant sun exposure is crucial to preventing visible sign of aging and skin cancer. Adding SPF30+ sunscreen into your daily get-ready routine is a must! People often forget their lips need sun protection to, so keep on hand a balm containing SPF. To save time on your facial routine, opt for a face cream with added SPF. 2. Hydration is key The path to clear and fresh-looking skin starts from within. No matter the season, although especially in summer, ensuring your body is getting enough water intake throughout day is vital to skin health. During summer, heat can increase the chance of skin dehydration so take extra precautions to stay hydrated like carrying a water bottle in your handbag and eating fresh fruit. Melons and oranges are great food choices as they contain high water content and vitamins beneficial for your skins health.

3. Know your skin type Get to know your skin and choose the right products that suit you. Not everybody has the same skin type; therefore, the same range of products will not work for everyone.

4. Keep it simple A daily skincare routine is extremely important, but it doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult! Three key products your skincare routine should contain are a cleanser, moisturizer and eye cream. Look for items containing essential moisturising factors to maintain hydration and the protective barrier of the skin.

5. Get checked!

An annual check-up with a dermatologist will ensure your keeping on top of your skin health.

Dermatologists can assist you with problematic skin, determining your skin type, reassessing your current skincare routine and other general skin health.

These Summer tips brought to you Dr Matulich on behalf of QV Skincare. Find out what skincare everyone in your family has. The Skin Solution Tool identifies your skin type, skin concerns and other lifestyle factors that can affect the condition of your skin, to provide product recommendations suitable for you. The tool also works for kids and baby products making it easy to shop skincare for the whole family.

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Reviewed Freez Clothing Freez is a Sydney based fashion company that aims to provide on-trend, fashion forward clothing for women at a reasonable price.

Recently I had the opportunity to include a few of their items in our latest Spring/Summer Fashion Read the Review Globber ONE K 180 Adult Scooter I haven’t seen my husband quiet as excited as the day I showed him the Globber ONE K 180 Scooter in quite a while. Not only does he love it; I do too! The Globber ONE K 180 offers a good quality scooter that has a well thought out design along with good looks and the strength to back it up.

Cinori Shoes Cinori Shoes offers a vast range of shoes online for women.

From comfort shoes to boots, sandles and heels, there is a great variety of styles and brands available. Read the Review Aromababy’s “Stretched to the Limit Massage Oil” is designed for use during pregnancy & postnatally.

It contains many beautiful ingredients that are renowned for skin health including avocado, rosehip, jojoba, sesame & evening primrose oils. Australian-made, natural and organic, Aromababy have a truly gorgeous range of pregnancy, postnatal & baby skincare. Read the Review

Finding delicious, nutritious Gluten Free Food can be a challenge, so I was interested to find out more about the new meal delivery service that ‘Gluten Free Meals’ offers. The Gluten Free Meal company offer a range of Meal options including finger food and desserts. Read the review

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Travel Lifestyle

Flying with children can be daunting. There are so many questions and information that needs to be considered before taking off on your family holiday. How will you children handle the flight? What will you do to keep them occupied? When should you fly and more. Based on our experience, here are our tips when flying with children.

Booking the Flights Flight Planning: No matter where you are going, flying with children requires more preparation and patience than before. If you are planning an overseas flight, try booking a night flight (departing around 5,6,7,8pm) so you child is awake at the beginning and easier to manage at the airport, yet likely to feel tired and sleepy soon after take-off resulting in a greater chance of them sleeping on the aeroplane; making the travel time seem shorter.

Arrive early. The last thing you want to do is rush around the airport trying to check in and get to your plane in a hurry with children. Patience will be pushed, tempers will flare and it creates an unhappy start to the holiday. Try to arrive early so your children can enjoy the experience of being at the airport; getting to watch the planes take-off and land. For early morning flights, consider booking airport accommodation to ensure a stress-free start to the holiday.

Packing Get them involved. Depending on their age, you can ask them to get their clothing ready and/ or keep them involved in the packing process. When packing, think about the weather you are heading too, along with the activities you will be undertaking and what is required for these. It is important to remember your baggage weight limits and that you will most likely be returning with souvenirs and thus heavier bags.

On-board Entertainment.

Provide each child with their own bag/backpack which they can pack with items for their on-board entertainment. Key items to pack include: Colouring-in pencils and book, reading book or two and small items they children can easily play with like cars or dolls. Unless the plane offers on-board entertainment (movies, video games etc) I would pack a Kids Tablet or similar (LeapPad, Tablet, Nintendo DS etc) to keep them occupied for longer periods. Tip: Check the toys they pack and the weight of the backpack so it isn’t too heavy for them to carry. Tip: A new toy that is hidden and only brought out for good behaviour or when needed is a great distraction.

During the Flight Ears and flying. Many passengers will experience a level of discomfort during take-off and landing, as your ears try to equalise the change in air pressure. You can help your child equalise their ear pressure by getting them to yawn repetitively, by swallowing through chewing a soft chewy lolly

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Travel or chewing gum or by pinching their nostrils shut, breathing in a large mouthful of air and while keeping the mouth and nose shut trying to gently blow the air out of your nose until you hear/ feel a pop. If you have a baby, try to bottle or breastfeed as soon as possible during/after landing/ take-off as the swallowing will help their ears adjust.

Most of all, try to enjoy this experience with your child. It is the beginning of your holiday and hopefully with our careful planning and our tips the flight will go well for you.

Lorie

ensure you haven’t forgotten anything by downloading our Packing Checklists!

Violet & Lily Pram Liners Violet and Lily stock an exclusive range of high quality, boutique pram liners. Our pram liners are a universal design, to fit all prams and come standard with extra thick padding and a butterfly cushion headrest, providing extra comfort for your baby whilst also protecting your pram. We feature designs for boys, girls and also have neutral and organic options. Violet and Lily pram liners are machine washable and all purchases include Free Shipping Australia wide.

Special Deal for Busy Mums: Enter code busymums10 at the checkout for $10 off your purchase.

RRP: $99 - $129. Purchase from: www.violetandlily.com.au

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Travel Lifestyle

10 Best Car Games to Keep Everyone Amused These Holidays

Road trips can become slightly less relaxed as a parent. Spending hours in a confined space with minimal wiggle room can bring on the boredom and frustration quickly.

You may resort to food bribery or pop on a DVD in the back to keep the boredom at bay but if that fails, what can you do? If you’ve played ‘I Spy’ to death and looking for some new car games to keep everyone entertained, then here is a list of road trip games that will keep the young and older kids entertained!

For the little ones The Neverending Story In a game of creative storytelling, the first person starts the story with one sentence, and then each player takes turns adding to the story - one sentence at a time. There is no requirement to recall the previous sentence. This game has no winner. It's just fun.

Scavenger Hunt Make a list of some different things you may see on a road trip, such as farm animals - the first person to find all of them wins.

The Silent Game Quite simply, the first to make a noise loses the game! Great for when some quiet time is needed during a long trip. Be warned: It often ends in laughter.

Coloured Cars Everyone in the car chooses a car colour and gets a point for every time you see a car of that colour on the road. If another player sees your chosen colour, they steal your point.

Old MacDonald If you're driving in the country, take up this game as a great way to spot new animals. '...and on that farm he had a ____'

place or thing (that they think all players are aware of). The other players then ask questions to discover who or what the first player is thinking. The answer can only be 'Yes' or 'No'. There are 20 chances to guess correctly.

Road Trip Bingo Are you a road trip rookie or a super sleuth?

Test your skills with the ultimate game of I Spy. Write down all of the things your passengers think you could see on a road trip. First to check off all of the items and whoever yells out 'Pit Stop' wins!

Remember what you see This is one for pit stops along the road where passengers could still be a little restless. Tell your players they have 30 seconds to look at a roadside scene, then you take a photo of it on your phone. Once you're back in the car, have the players write a list of everything they remember seeing. The longest list with the right answers wins.

Free Association One person begins with a word. The next person has to think of a word that is associated - and so on until a player can't think of an association or says something nobody understands: E.g. Donald Trump - New York - Arthur - Russell Brand - Katy Perry - Bad Music - etc.

For the older kids The Cooking Game The first person starts by saying "I'm making dinner and I need an onion". The next person adds Author Bio: Courtney Goudswaard is the an ingredient, reciting the previous one as well: "I'm making dinner and I need an onion and garlic. Digital PR Manager at Budget Direct www.budgetdirect.com.au 20 Questions A classic game - one player thinks of a person,

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Travel

Kids Travel Activity Kits When travelling with children, it is wise to have toys and travel activities ready to distract them as the trips goes on. Creating your own kids travel activity pack is simple and easy to do. I created a few different kits suitable for each of my children’s skills and interests. I have listed the contents below for you, so you can replicate these and/or create your own with items more suitable for your children.

If making a Travel Activity Kit of your own is too hard; we have also listed a few great travel games/activity packs below that we have come across.

Kids Travel Activities Pack 1 (Master J, Aged 5)

1 x Super Brain Putty 1 x Book to Read: Poppy’s Carwash 1 x Scrapbook to draw memories or stick photos of the holiday into 1 x Clipboard with printed activity sheets downloaded free from the internet. For Master J I downloaded a range of maze’s, draw the line from a to b and colouring in sheets.

1 x Ziploc bag of pencils

Kids Travel Activities Pack 2 (Master L, Aged 8)

1 x Super Brain Putty 1 x Book to Read: The Bad Guys Episode 6 1 x Scrapbook to draw memories or stick photos of the holiday into 1 x Clipboard with printed activity sheets downloaded free from the internet. For Master L I downloaded a range of maze’s, Word Search, Maths activities and colouring in sheets.

1 x Ziploc bag of pencils

Kids Travel Activities Pack 3 (Miss E, Aged 10)

1 x Super Brain Putty 1 x Book to Read: Tom Gates Super Good Skills 1 x Scrapbook to draw memories or stick photos of the holiday into 1 x Clipboard with printed activity sheets downloaded free from the internet. For Miss E, she downloaded a range of Crosswords, Word Searches, Maths activities and colouring in sheets.

1 x Ziploc bag of pencils, eraser and a sharpener.

Have you created a Kids Travel Activity Kit? What did you include or what would you add to our kits?

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Travel Lifestyle

More Travel Games & Activities Stacks of stickers - Little cuties

There are STACKS of stickers in this set, which will keep your children busy on your holiday. Colour them in and then stick them where you like. Decorate a holiday scrapbook or create a cute picture. There is also a selection of special glitter ones too.

Available from: www.lucaslovescars.com.au RRP: $20

How to Draw - Fantasy

Keep your children amused on long trips with this ‘How to Draw’ book. With step by step illustrations, it will help them learn how to draw a range of Fantasy figures.

Available from: www.lucaslovescars.com.au RRP: $20

5 Second Rule

Tinned Mini Game It's all in good fun with this fast-paced family game. Can you name 3 things as you race against the 5 second timer? Now in a mini version that you can play anywhere! Also, a booster pack to the original 5 Second Rule board game - with brand new questions!

Age 8+ RRP: $16

Smart Ass

Tinned Mini Game Who is the 'Smart Ass' among your friends and family? Find out with this outrageous, fast-paced game that's perfect for parties and social gatherings. There are 90 Who, What and Where Am I questions cards - each question with ten clues - and guess what? You don't have to wait your turn to answer. In Smart Ass, just yell out the answer as soon as you know it. Think fast and talk fast to win! Age 12+ RRP: $16

Super Brain Putty

Knead it, Snap it, Melt it, Bend it, Bounce it, Stretch it!

Super Brain Putty feels cool, smells great and never dries out. Enjoy the slime sensation without the mess, and have endless hours of imaginative fun and cognitive activity. There is putty for everyone, with 22 different designs to collect! That includes the Rainbow series, Anti-Matter Series, Metallic, Glow in The Dark and Neon series.

Suitable for ages 3+, loved by kids and big kids at heart!

Available Exclusively at Kmart RRP: $8.00

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Other

Grace and Katie Follow twins Grace and Katie on an imaginative story about art, creativity, sisterhood and individuality.

Grace and Katie love to draw. Grace loves everything to be organised and neat, while Katie loves everything to be bright, bold and messy. When they want to draw a map of their home and street, the girls can’t agree on how it should be done so they each decide to create their own map.

But that doesn’t work out quite as well as they’d planned.

Perhaps working together might be more fun after all! An imaginative exploration of individuality, sisterhood, creativity and appreciating each other’s strengths.

RRP $19.99. Grace and Katie is available from www.ekbooks. org and wherever great books are sold.

Finn & Puss Finn, a young boy, is lonely. Puss, a cat, is lost. Then Finn and Puss meet. Suddenly Finn isn’t lonely anymore, and Puss seems quite happy to be with Finn too. So when Finn sees a ‘Lost’ poster, put up by Puss’s owners, he’s faced with a tough decision. Will he do the right thing? This simple story, told in few words, touches on themes of hope, despair, loneliness and friendship. Above all, it gently explores how sometimes we need to make hard choices but that ‘doing the right thing’ has its own rewards. RRP $19.99.

Available from www.ekbooks.org and where great books are sold.

Lionheart: The Real Life Guide for Adoptive Families is a parenting guidebook for families considering adoption or parenting adopted children. Sharing their personal stories of raising adoptive families, authors Jodie Hampshire, Selina Smyth, Tammie Flinos and Robert Harris provide a modern toolbox of ideas and resources covering topics such as trauma, behavioural challenges and parental self-care. The book can be purchased at $24.99 through lionheartfamilies.com, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository and Kobo.

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Ty Mini Boos The brand new collectibles from Beanie Boos. Mini Boos are small, hand painted figurines. And you won’t discover just which Mini Boo you have received until you open the box. There are 13 Mini Boos in Series 1. Each comes in its own box with checklist. These adorable figures are crafted with love. Available from Myer, NewsXpress, Mr Toys, Toy World and available at Kidstuff. RRP $5.99

Vege Fruit Sticks are the latest addition to the growing Mother Earth range. They are available in two flavours - Beetroot, Apple and Berry and Carrot, Apple and Orange. Made with real vegetable puree

Think King Clippy Hook -Black Set of Two. The first and only clip hook custom designed for shopping, not climbing. Its unique shape means holding the gate open is easy and items can slip on and off the hook effortlessly, just like our Mighty Buggy Hooks. The sturdy steel wire gate closes on its own coiled tension so there is no spring that can break. Easy to attach with a strong Velcro strap that stays put at any angle.

Available from: www.childsmart.com.au RRP: $27.95

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Ristorante Pizza Dolce Al Cioccolato This decadent addition is a chocolate version of Dr. Oetker’s Ristorante signature thin and crispy crust, deliciously topped with gooey choc sauce, milk chocolate flakes, and dark and white chocolate chunks on a cocao dough base. Delicious on its own, just add fruit and ice-cream to make it even more scrumptious. Available from: Woolworths RRP: $7.50

– not juice or concentrate – the new Vege Fruit Sticks contain more vegetables than fruit in the filling, and are an enjoyable and easy way to introduce different vegetable flavours to children.

Available from: Coles RRP: $3.50

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Mighty Buggy Hook – Gold Set of Two An ideal hook for a diaper bag, purse or anything you want to hang from a stroller in a luxurious gold.

The Mighty Buggy Hook features a strong and lightweight aluminium hook that won’t break. No clip makes it easy to slip items on and off with only one hand Easy to attach with hook & loop strap, will not fall off. Rubbery strap grips on any bar and will not slide around. Short hook holds bags close to stroller. Available from: www.childsmart.com.au RRP: $24.95

Waxworks Giant Tealight (8 pack) in Bush Blend Waxworks Bush Blend features citronella and the iconic, refreshing scent of bush fragranced oils. A refreshing alternative to citronella only products, new Bush Blend appeals to those with a preference for naturally inspired mosquito repellents.

Available in a Giant Tealight eight pack, each candle can burn for up to four hours.

Available from Woolworths.

RRP: $7.00

Ristorante Pizza Bianca Carne e Patata by Dr. Oetker This unique flavour includes crunchy potato chips, smokey ham, aromatic red onions and mozzarella cheese on a creamy white sauce.

It’s the only frozen pizza available in Australia with a white sauce, made from rich sour cream, rather than the standard tomato base. Scrumptious on its own or the perfect side dish. Available from: The frozen aisle at Woolworths RRP: $7.50

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