January 2015 - Adventure, baby!

Month: January 2015

Parenting Around The World: Zurich, Switzerland

January 29, 2015 / Family / 20 Comments

I’m starting a new parenting series today: a view into what life is like for parents around the world. My first parent is Thien Lan Weber, a French-born Vietnamese professional (and blogger!), who, after living in Australia for 12 years, recently moved to Zurich, Switzerland, with her husband, Emmanuel, and their two sons (aged three and six). The couple are both originally from France (Thien Lan from Paris, Emmanuel from Nancy in Eastern France). Says Thien Lan, “Call me a Parisian (although I look Asian) but don’t call him a Nancy boy though!”

Their current home is Gockhausen, a cute village in the mountain surrounded by the woods, but only a 15 minute drive from the city centre. A big change from their old home on Sydney’s Eastern suburbs, where they lived close to the beach.

Thank you so much Thien Lan for sharing your amazing insight into life as a parent in Zurich.

A climate change
The first thing people said when I moved from Sydney to Zurich was: “What a change!” Indeed, the climate is not the same. Captain Obvious would say it’s much cooler here. In fact when we arrived last September, the summer was unusually long and the weather was mild up to Christmas. Mild here means above zero degrees. But here are a few things I like about this climate:

Less wind, so much less wind, which means a 15 degree feels much warmer than winter in Sydney where the breeze coming straight from Antarctica chills me to the bones
Snow! The kids discovered snow last month. It was magical. In particular when Frozen the Disney movie is so popular.
Ski. We discovered a very child-friendly ski resort just an hour drive away from where we live. The kids have been twice so far and my 6-year-old is making amazing progress. He can go down a small slope by himself and avoid a few obstacles. Much easier to pick up than surfing.
No running barefoot. Sorry Aussie friends but that habit of yours (well, some of you) grosses me out. In fact it’s the opposite here: kids (and grown up alike) take their shoes off before entering someone’s house and change from snow boots to slippers when they enter school.
Shopping! Great excuse for me to buy a whole range of clothes I didn’t have back in Sydney. Lucky I got given Ugg Boots as farewell gift. I can’t live without their comfort and warmth. But I got to buy lots of knitwear and a super cool down jacket that protects me up to minus 5 or 10 degrees Celcius, woohoo!

The inconvenience of this new climate though, is:

Rugging up the kids: long sleeve polo shirt + jumper + down jacket + beanie + gloves + warm socks + snow boots. I gave up on the scarves thanks to turtleneck jackets. My 3-year-old had two months of why-do-I-have-to-wear-a-jacket type of tantrums. Then they often forget their beanies or gloves at school, just more hassle to your everyday life.
Less opportunities to play outdoor BUT eventually, as long as it’s not raining, I’m happy to get them to rug up and play outside in the woods or at the small playground in front of our house.

Early Independence
The Swiss want their kids to be autonomous from a very young age. Kids walk back to school by themselves from the age of three or four. I see small groups of pre-schoolers learning how to cross the street. My six-year-old goes to school by himself, it’s only three minutes walk through a bit of woods over a wooden bridge. So picturesque! But that’s my biggest pride so far and that’s why we chose to live in this village.

Outdoor lifestyle
Most building blocks comprises of a small playground with either swings or slides, so it’s very convenient for kids to play outside and have play dates without making a mess at home.

We also love our nearby lake. We went for a swim a couple of times in September and the water and the air were around 20 degrees Celcius. For 3 CHF(4.3AUD) you have access to a beach with manicured grass, change rooms, lockers, ping pong tables, water play and playground, access to the Lake via rockstairs or via waterslides, diving board and a few platforms further in the lake from where you can swim to and take a breathtaking view of the coast.

The mountains are also wonderful. Not just for skiing but as landscape background. Beautiful with snowy tops.

Learning to share facilities
For the first time ever, we need to get used to sharing a washing machine and dryer with strangers. In most buildings you have one set of washing machines and dryer to share among all the tenants with a roster on when you can wash your clothes, i.e. once a week plus weekends if needs be. With the kids playing in muddy snow it’s not always convenient. Lucky my husband is very organised so he plans it all ahead. I know I’m lucky, he takes care of the washing. And I also bought more pants to get through the week so we need to wash our clothes less.

Cleanliness and convenience for kids
All playgrounds are clean, maintained and have toilets. Café and restaurants toilets are all spotless too. Sometimes they have change tables. Sydney wasn’t too bad for that but Paris is outrageous.

Following local customs
The Swiss society is known for abiding by rules and being very clean. When we spilled a Coke on the floor at Maccas we felt like we had to clean it up, straight away. Stairs and common areas in your building are spotless and neighbour watch is extreme.

While everyone being strict on following rules keeps everything clean and safe, it can also get annoying when taken to the extreme, such as an old lady I noticed who recorded all the license plate numbers of the cars parked in our street one day. From what I’ve been told, she is annoyed that our street is being invaded by non-local parents who drop off their kids at the school.

Location, location, location
We love our proximity to France and the rest of Europe. The whole point of the move for us was to be close to family and being only three-and-a-half hour drive from Nancy, we get to see my in-laws quite often. And from Nancy I can hop to Paris which is only one hour and 20 minutes away by high speed train (and leave the kids with their Grand Ma so I shop and dine freely). Zurich is also three-and-half hour drive from Burgundy with its world famous wineries and Michelin Star restaurants. Further down the region we can visit my former-dorm mate and best friend from university who also has two boys and so similar point of views about life, career and education although we have been 20,000 km apart for all these years!

Exposure to culture
Museums are free to kids, and all have clean toilets, free cloakrooms and lockers, and no crowds at all! There are also many old castles you can visit and learn about the history and customs of the area in a fun and interactive way. Farms organise arts and crafts activities like pumpkins decoration contests and candles making.

What we eat
Affordable organic fruits and veggies and Cordon Bleu (chicken schnitzel with melted cheese and ham inside) is a national dish. The kids love it.

On the downside, Sashimi is extremely expensive. Switzerland is not exactly know for its coast and fish market. A visit to a Sushi train cost us 200 CHF ($279 AUD) for us four on our second day in Zurich. Never again! We shifted to cheese instead: fondue, raclette. As long as we don’t mention sashimis to the kids they won’t ask for it. Lucky we’ve got a nice Vietnamese joint 10 minutes drive. It’s 20 CHF = 29 AUD for a bowl of pho, which is pretty cheap lunch according to local standards.

There are also no babycinos in Zurich! And kids’ meals are around 15 CHF with free cordial drink, although I found a nice café that makes you pay as many CHF as your child’s age.

Picking up the local language
The challenge for us is to learn two new languages. The local language is Swiss German, which sounds like Dutch, but the written language is German. It’s hard for the kids to learn German and maintain English being enrolled where they are at a French School. Fortunately, the French system starts at three years old so the little one goes to school full time and half of the week is in German. The six year old has 45 mins of German, four times a week, and for me, I enrolled in intensive classes to refresh my seven years of German classes, forgotten after almost 20 years of not practicing.

A challenge with not speaking German yet is needing to enroll the kids in activities in languages that they do speak – either French or English. We are fortunate enough to have after school activities organised by the French school almost every day. Wednesday afternoon is free though so we have to find our own. We live eight minutes walk from a pony club so I enrolled my six-year-old. Although the instructors could speak English, my son didn’t bond much with the experience, the local kids (all girls), nor the ponies to be honest. We also tried English-speaking football and that was better.

To keep up swimming classes our only choice is German-speaking classes, but for music where my son’s motivation is really not there yet, I don’t want to ruin it by choosing the local classes in German. My strategy will be to start with asking one of the French teachers that he absolutely loves to show him a few things on the guitar. It’s a big disappointing to have to choose this route because the local music school is subsidised by the city and is well structured, reflecting the long arts tradition in Europe. I didn’t have the luxury to have a private teacher when I grew up in Paris and took lessons at the Conservatoire with lots of exams, hard work and competition.

Making new friends
Only the language barrier is preventing us from meeting friends with the locals. However, the French school network is very tight and helpful, Facebook groups like “mum’s and mum’s to be in Zurich” works wonders with replies within the hour to any question you might have, small or big. And I discovered many other English speaking networks which all about sharing and helping each other.

Thien Lan Weber is a French born Vietnamese professional with 15 years consumer marketing experience in Blue chip companies. She is also a mum of two boys and recently stopped corporate work when she relocated from Sydney Australia to Zurich Switzerland for family reasons.

She now follows her passion writing a blog with restaurant reviews covering Zurich and France. Her style is all about practical tips like dining out with kids or career shifts for working mums. She’s currently refreshing her German, helping some Mumtrepreneurs with their marketing, takes time to play the piano and helps her eldest son when he’s stuck in his Skylanders video games.

You can follow Thien Lan’s adventures as an expat in Zurich on her blog, http://www.thienlan.me. You can also find her on LinkedIn.

Octonauts Live! Operation Reef Shield

January 28, 2015 / Cheese, Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

If you have a preschooler, likely you know exactly who the Octonauts are, too. The popular TV show (it’s one of the 10 most watched TV shows in Australia) has been teaching kids about the importance of ocean conservation since it began airing on television two years ago.

The Octonauts are a team of eight quirky (and adorable) sea creatures, led by Captain Barnacles (a polar bear), whose mission it is to explore underwater worlds, rescue sea creatures and protect the ocean.

By watching this TV show, Cheese has learned a great deal about ocean life, such as that jelly fish sting, and sharks are dangerous. Unlike a lot of shows that I’m pretty sure rot the brain (don’t get me started on those horrible egg unwrapping YouTube videos), Octonauts is something I’m happy for my daughter to be watching on TV as it’s so educational.

If your kid is also an Octonauts lover, they’ll be excited to hear about the Australian world premiere of the Octonauts Live! Operation Reef Shield show, a live adventure musical touring Australia from 21 Feb to 28 March 2015. The show features all of the show’s beloved characters, transformed into lifelike walkaround costumes (like the Captain Barnacles in the pictures, whom we were lucky enough to recently meet). Expect to hear the famous “Creature Report” song, The Octonauts theme song, plus 15 new songs sung by the Octonauts as well as a colourful array of Australian reef creatures.

Cheese is a massive fan of The Octonauts, as you can see from her face in these photos. We were lucky enough to be invited on a tour of Sydney Sea Life with Captain Barnacles himself.

As we walked through the aquarium, we met all kinds of special Australian reef creatures, such as the Crown of Thorns Starfish, with whom Captain Barnacles is going to face his scariest threat ever in the live show (this starfish has got some epic big, sharp spikes, so I can believe he’d be scary when he’s not behind glass!).

Thank you so much Life Like Touring and Octonauts for this very special experience.

Does your Octonauts fan want to see their heroes live, too? Tickets for Octonauts Live! Operation Reef Shield are on sale now at octonautslive.com.au.

Chur Burger: Sydney’s Best Burgers, Surry Hills

January 23, 2015 / Inner West, Surry Hills, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I love burgers. LOVE burgers. In fact, the last meat I ate before I gave up all kinds of meat for good was a hamburger. I wasn’t sure I could be a vegetarian when I loved burgers so very much, but after much searching and sampling, I’ve been finding the best vegetarian burgers in various countries now. My previous Sydney fave, The Counter, closed down while I was living overseas, and I hadn’t found a worthy successor until my recent visit to Chur Burger.

Chur Burger has been popular with food bloggers for a while, always a good sign. Nestled in the quiet back streets of Surry Hills, Inside however, the vibe is lively, with retro pop music playing loud (the music was actually our only grumble about our dining experience. While we liked the music selection, we found it too loud to hear what our friends were saying).

We had a bit of a food splurge and ordered waaaaay too much for our little family to eat. Everything was so delicious though, that we gave it our best shot and walked away with groaning stomaches at capacity.

Mozzarella sticks and tomato jam (special of the day, $10). HEAVEN. Deep fried cheesy goodness.

Sweet potato fries, garlic, lime ($8). Delicious. Thick, crispy and soft in the middle.

Chips, chilli salt ($6). We ordered these with plain salt so Cheese could eat them. Perfect, fat fries.

Spiced chickpea fritter, grated beetroot, honey labne ($10). The holy grail of vegetarian burgers. I find it so hard to get a decent vegetarian burger and this one was pretty much perfect. Lightly spied patty, and the honey labne was devine.

Grilled beef, cheese, tomato jam, mustard mayo, pickle ($10). This was Alec’s. Asked for a comment he said “it was really good” and that was all he could offer.

We also ordered two Milkshakes – Vanilla and Milo ($10, all with Heilala vanilla). I only tried the Milo one but it was absolutely divine. Cheese and I battled it out to see who would get to eat the chocolate Milo bits left on top at the end. Alec said his vanilla was delicious and drank the entire thing before I could sample it.

Chur Burger had lots of families dining in, as you’d expect from a burger place. While there was nothing particularly kid-friendly about it (no kids’ menu, room for strollers, change table), it was such a laid back, casual affair that bringing a few noisy kids certainly had no impact on the other kid-free patrons’ dining experience. I certainly felt very comfortable with my wiggle preschooler and didn’t worry to much if she was being loud or fidgety – no need to feel like everyone has to be on their best behaviour, so long as they’re hoeing into burgers and enjoying their shakes and fries.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes (one step).
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Chur Burger
48 Albion Street,
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 9212 3602
Prices: $
Hours: Mon 11:30am-9pm Tues-Sat 11:30am-10pm, Sunday closed
Get Directions

Queens Park Shed: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Randwick, Sydney

January 21, 2015 / Randwick, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

One of our recent cycling adventures brought us to the Queens Park Shed cafe. Originally a women’s change shed, it eventually became a disused sports storage shed, until Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust engaged Trippas White Group to turn it into a community space and cafe. The Shed is a popular cafe with families in particular, due to its location next to a large playground.

The inside is spacious and filled with large benches or cosy nooks. There is also seating outside, perfect for parking strollers.

The Shed offers little diners cute print outs such as this Ariel page, and crayons, as well as babyccinos served at the perfect temperature (and with a marshmallow, of course).

Alec and I both chose the Avocado Toast (avocado toast, free range poached eggs,
vine ripened tomato, goat’s cheese, $17). While we were impressed with the fast service, the meal itself was on the average side, due to a lack of seasoning. The cafe’s location was so great however, that we will be back to try it again and hopefully get a better dish.

The Shed runs a few programs for kids, such as Kids Eat Free on Thursdays from 5pm, and the Kids Power Hour, Monday – Friday 2:30-4pm, for a filling after school snack.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Queens Park Shed
31 Darley Rd,
Randwick NSW 2031
Phone: (02) 9380 9350
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat & Sun 8am-4pm
Get Directions

Brass Monkey: Kid-friendly Restaurants, Meatpacking District, New York

January 21, 2015 / Manhattan Munchies, Meatpacking / 0 comment

On a dreary but not-too-cold day, we made our way to Brass Monkey in the Meatpacking District to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. We walked past packed brunch spots like Pastis, and I was concerned that we were going to have to fight for a table.

I don’t know if it was the sad weather that put people off, but Brass Monkey was practically empty when we arrived. We were able to grab a table on the rooftop deck big enough to fit the 14 members of the party, and spread out with all the space we had.

As the afternoon wore on, the tables slowly filled up, but it was never packed to the point of the famous neighbours downstairs. In fact, when it started to rain, we were able to find empty tables enough to fit our remaining part of eight on both the floors below.

Speaking of floors – there are three. The main floor entrance, with a bar, tables and chairs, the middle floor with a second bar, booths and small tables and chairs, and the rooftop. There’s no lift, so if you’re planning to take kids to the middle level or rooftop, pack light and bring a folding stroller. One thing’s for sure, you’ll burn off at least half of the food you’re about to consume.

Brass Monkey serves upmarket bar food. It has a brunch menu with a twist, including items like the Egg Scramble Wrap (scrambled eggs with spinach, tomato and cheddar, served with homefries) and Maine Lobster Roll, served with old bay chips. You can also try the Full Irish Breakfast (two eggs, any style, sausage, bacon, black pudding, white pudding, beans and toast).

On a sunny day the rooftop deck get crowded fast. It has a less pub-like ambiance, with little pot plants embedded in the walls, and a creates an interesting juxtapositioning of old and new, being right next to the Standard Hotel and High Line.

Our food arrived pretty quickly for a party of 14. Everything was well cooked to order, including the meal which was altered to suit a gluten-intolerant diner. My Egg Scramble Wrap was delicious. A big wedge of egg, wrapped in spinach, tomato and cheese. What combination could be better?

We couldn’t find any high chairs, so we balanced Cheese on our laps, then chased her around the deck when she got bored. The sweet potato fries we ordered entertained her for a while, then I resorted to letting her pick the ice out of my empty glass.

The staff were efficient, but not overly friendly. They gave us what we needed, and kept out of our hair. No special concessions were made for kids, but it was a very welcoming environment, and we didn’t feel awkard about having our rowdy toddler with us. Several more toddlers arrived as we were leaving, so we clearly weren’t the only people seeking a quieter option for lunch or brunch on a Saturday.

Last bite: For bar food with a twist – and a great view, grab a table on the rooftop deck, order a drink, and relax in the sun.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes – as long as it’s not super busy, there’s plenty of room for strollers.
Easy access: Yes, to main floor.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Brass Monkey
55 Little West 12th St
New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 675-6686
Hours: Daily, 12pm-4am
Prices: $
Cuisine: Bar food

Camp Quality: Helping Kids With Cancer

January 17, 2015 / Kids / 0 comment

This is a break from my regular “things to do” type of content. I wanted to give a shout out to a wonderful charity, Camp Quality, an organisation that helps kids living with cancer. They have a range of family support programs, hospital programs, and educational and recreational programs that are aimed at creating a better life for every child in Australia who is living with cancer. If you’re looking for a worthy charity to get involved with, this is definitely one worth your time.

I became aware of Camp Quality through Kids Business Communications. They host the Bloggers Brunch^TM and Bloggers BBQ^TMseries of events where bloggers and brands meet and mingle. These events also raise awareness and funds for different charities. For more information check out http://www.kidsbusiness.com.au.

Summer Playground At The Sydney Opera House

January 15, 2015 / Animal Experiences, Cheese, Indoor Play, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

The Sydney Opera House never ceases to surprise me with their wonderful programming for families.

Right now, kids can enjoy the fabulous free Creative Play available daily at the Sydney Opera House just inside the Western Foyer. Kids can take time out of the heat with free LEGO play, while contributing to a collaborative musical composition – using their LEGO creations. The shapes built by the kids is turned into music using a really cool technology (a scanner in the roof and some sophisticated software). Three very entertaining and energetic musical performers engage the kids and introduce the LEGO music every 15 minutes.

I’d previously thought Cheese was just not really into Lego, but she surprised me by wanting to build Lego towers for over an hour. I literally had to drag her out of the building, which was a shame considering how great the air conditioning was.

Creative Play operates daily until January 26. Free and suitable for any ages who enjoy building with regular sized LEGO (no Duplo here).

Out on the Western Forecourt is the Summer Playground. The Harbourside sandpit is a big hit, letting kids kick off their shoes and play with the provided sand toys while parents can sit around the sandpit under shade and enjoy a drink or lunch.

Hungry families can grab a bite at the Summer Playground’s House Eatery By George, Opera Bar or Opera Kitchen. Their kids’ menu features three meals, each $15 (tip: if the cafe inside the foyer is open, you can pick up a kids’ box for $7 which includes sandwiches, juice, a cheese stick, museli bar, lollypop and mini box of smarties. These boxes can be brought out into the Summer Playground area to eat).

When we stopped by, the Taronga Zoo’s Zoomobile was there, giving kids the chance to meet Australian wildlife like echidnas, snakes and shingleback lizards. Sadly the day we visited (Jan 15th) was the last day for the Zoomobile.

The Sydney Opera House Summer Playground is open until 01 Feb 2015, Sun-Thur 9am-11pm, Fri & Sat 9am-12am.

Public transport is the easiest way to get there (catch the train to Circular Quay), but if you need to drive, until 31 January Wilson are offering Opera House visitors a special Summerhouse deal. Pre-book a bay in the Opera House car park and quote Summer15 to receive $15 flat rate for weekday parking 9am-5pm and $9 flat rate for weekend parking 9am-5pm.

Sydney Festival: Waterfall Swing, Festival Village & The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show

January 13, 2015 / Cheese, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 7 Comments

The Sydney Festival is on right now (it runs 8-25 January) and they have some really fun events for families. We’ve checked out the Waterfall Swing in Darling Harbour, the Festival Village in Hyde Park, City of Sydney Lawn Library and The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. Next, I’m looking forward to Family Week (Jan 20-25) in Hyde Park, with its free workshops, art and music for kids.

The Waterfall Swing in Darling Harbour is super fun for kids and adults. In fact, when we were there, I saw about 50% kids, 50% adults enjoying the swing, so don’t be shy! The intelligent swing creates a cascade of water that opens just in time for the rider to pass through. Be prepared to get soaking wet! (8–24 January, 9am–9pm, daily)

We also stopped by the City of Sydney Lawn Library, which is home to a lot of activities for all ages like calligraphy, circus skills and pop-up crafts. The kids particularly enjoyed the big Jenga-style blocks.
(8–25 January 2015 ,11am–11pm Daily, Closed Mondays)

The Festival Village in Hyde is home to delicious (albeit a bit pricey) eats and treats. Restaurants include Bar Pho, Harvest Trader & Co, Puntino Trattoria, Bite Size Delights, Bar Coco Milk Bar, Jafe Jaffles, the Village cheese shop Cheesesmith, and Porteno and Gelato Messina have joined forces to create The Double Down Diner.

There are also a variety of free and paid events on during the festival. Freebies include live music playing, such as this band.

Gelato Messina “The Royale With Cheese” ($10). The Messina “gelato burger” – milk chocolate gelato patty layered with white chocolate cheese, passionfruit “mustard” and raspberry “ketchup” served on a warm brioche bun. Honestly, I didn’t like this one. The bun was a bit weird and not sweet enough for me. I would have preferred some kind of fake bun made out of biscuit .

Gelato Pie ($8) “The Nutty Professor” – peanut butter biscuit base layered with peanut custard, vanilla gelato, peanut crunch and topped with whipped cream. Pretty tasty, but I’m not a huge nut fan.

Gelato Pie ($8) “Lemon Meringue Pie” – Buttery biscuit base layered with lemon custard gelato, lemon curd and topped with torched lemon meringue. This was my favourite of the three. Really lemony and delicious.

Basket of fries $10. Really good and a big serve to share.

Ricotta and spinach pastizzi ($4 each). They were huge and really tasty. Zero spinach weirdly.
(8–25 January, Closed Mondays. Free entry until midnight, food available from 11am.)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show has got to be one of the best kids’ shows I’ve ever seen. The show features four stories by Eric Carle, combining 75 beautifully constructed puppets with the timeless charm of Carle’s famous stories and illustrations. At 50 minutes it was the perfect length for the attention span of small children. The seamless mix of storytelling and puppetry was mesmerizing for adults and the kids alike.

Stick around after the show to meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar himself. (8–18 January at 10am & 12pm Wed & Sat at 10am, 12pm & 3pm).

Smiggle Back To School Giveaway

January 12, 2015 / Family, Giveaway, Kids, Product Reviews / 0 comment

Cheese is starting preschool in a few weeks and we’re both super excited about the change. She’s been calling her new school “the special school”, which is adorable – less adorable is her calling her current daycare “the bad school” to differentiate them, no matter how many times I correct her that there’s nothing bad about her daycare!

Anyway, in preparation for Cheese starting preschool, the kind folks over at Smiggle sent us some of their awesome back to school range – and have also given us a matching pack to give away to one lucky reader.

Our kit contained the basics for starting school, in an adorable pink and puppy print, which Cheese absolutely adores. In included a Travel Double Decker Lunchbox (RRP $24.95) Travel Tube Pencil Case (RRP $10.95) Travel Wallets (RRP $10.95), Travel Lanyard (RRP $4.95), Travel Holographic Ruler (RRP $3.95), Pop Mini Electric Sharpener (RRP $16.95).

As you can see, Cheese is into her stationary. I particularly love the Smiggle brand because not only are their products super cute, they’re also well designed. The double decker lunch box, for example, is so useful we take it everywhere. The bottom section is perfect for enough food to last the entire day, and the top section is where I put a cold pack and anything that I want to keep separate, like a frozen yogurt pouch.

I also love the themed ranges with the creative prints. It’s really nice to have gear that isn’t covered in licensed characters – I much prefer designs such as these dog ones, which are age appropriate and have longevity past a short-lived fascination with particular animated characters.

All of the Smiggle products are well-made and durable, making them a great choice for little kids. It makes me happy when things don’t break the first time my preschooler (mis)uses them. Big hardy zippers, strong stitching, sturdy plastic, thick velcro – these products are made to last rough use by little hands.

Is your child starting school soon? Why don’t you enter the giveaway below to win your own Smiggle Back To School pack? Entry is open Monday January 12, 2015, 12:01 am to Sunday January 18, 11:59pm (Sydney-time). Entry is open to Australian shipping addresses only via the form below. You can read the full T&Cs here. The most creative entry will win.

The winner will receive the red Smiggle pack pictured (no other colour option), including:

Travel Double Decker Lunchbox (RRP $24.95)
Travel Tube Pencil Case (RRP $10.95)
Travel Wallet (RRP $10.95)
Travel Lanyard (RRP $4.95)
Travel Holographic Ruler (RRP $3.95)
Pop Mini Electric Sharpener (RRP $16.95)

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This is Three

January 8, 2015 / Cheese, Family, Kids / 14 Comments

My little Cheeseola is 3.5. Every day she cracks me up and tests my patience to the limits. I’ve stopped keeping detailed notes about her development and cute things she does, so I’m writing it down here so I don’t forget all of the tiny adorable details of my little girl’s childhood.

She collects gumnuts off the footpath and puts them in her pockets.

She says things like “yes, that’s very difficult”.

She asks for water “with ice and a lemon”.

She has a huge heart. I’ve never heard her say a bad word about anyone, and she is welcoming to anyone who wants to play with her.

Her emotions are huge and she can’t yet control them.

She’s obsessed with counting, singing and dancing.

She wants to do everything by herself, and in her own time. Including toilet training.

She loves to make me laugh.

She’s a big mummy’s girl and I love it.

She has so many questions. “Why?”, “What’s that?”, “What’s that called?”, “Where is that?”, “What’s the name of this place?”. Her curiosity is relentless.

She’s empathetic. She’ll notice things like “she looks sad”, and want to cheer her up.

She’s got an excellent memory. She’ll come out with things like “I want to go to our old home. In Brooklyn”.

She’s a bit vague. Just like her dad 😉 She has a hard time remembering where she left things, and it’s hard to get her attention when she’s focused on something like, say, the iPad.

She’s relentless. I do admire that she knows what she wants and keeps on at me until she gets it, even if it drives me nuts at the time.

She has an active imagination. Her fantasy world of princesses and fairies is just amazing to behold.

She gets bad dreams. So bad that she sometimes says “I don’t want to go to sleep, because I get bad dreams”. It makes me so sad.

She barely eats. I feel like I’m always force feeding her because she just doesn’t think to eat, even when food is right in front of her. She’s always focused on something else.

She’s a great performer. She loves dancing and singing in front of an audience. This is not a shy child.

She’s loud. No surprises where she got that from.

She loves watching live shows. I have a wonderful time taking her to performances and plays – she gets so much joy out of them.

She’s crazy active. She’s always been super active, and nothing has changed. She’s always pushing herself to her physical limits.

She’s intense. Oh man is she intense. It’s exhausting, but also entertaining, exhilarating and maddening.

She loves putting pieces together. Like Playmobil and Minnie Mouse Bowtique. She’s not into blocks, but she loves making character-based worlds come alive.

She has started to take an interest in what she wears. She loves dresses, particularly tutus, and anything sparkly. She loves bow hair clips, tiaras, ballet shoes and accessories. She also likes having her fingernails painted.

Her favourite shoes have gingerbread men on them.

She has just mastered the scooter. After a year of refusing to even give it a go because it was “too hard”, the other day she just decided she wanted to do it, and so she did. Minutes later, she was off like a pro.

She’s still a terrible sleeper. If she’s not coming into our bedroom at 4am and climbing into bed with me, she’s up between 5:30 and 6am. Alec and I are so tired.

She wants to wear a dress every day.

She loves watching Barney, The Wiggles and Strawberry Shortcake.

She loves dressing up as fairies and princesses.

She wants to fly “Oh I wish I could fly!”

She loves her grandparents and says “I miss them terribly” when they leave.