Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

Chrissie Gifts Sorted at the Myer Christmas Giftorium

November 15, 2015 / Indoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 1 Comment

The holiday season is my favourite time of year. I admit to going a bit overboard with the festivities – I just can’t help myself. This past weekend I was invited to the opening of the Myer Christmas Giftorium in Sydney. The Giftorium is more than just a store, it’s a really one-stop Christmas destination in Sydney where kids can meet Santa, write him a letter with their wish list, ride a mini train and also check out the hottest gifts for the whole family.

The Frozen and Disney section was a very popular section of the store, particularly the Elsa singing gloves and Anna and Elsa dolls. Still a hit, almost two year on. This is also the area where you’ll find Toy Story, Minnie & Mickey, Cinderella, Marvel Avengers and Inside Out toys.

The talking storm troopers in the Star Wars pop up were also extremely popular. We have a Star Wars lover in our house so I think we will be revisiting this section shortly…

Myer have really upped their personalised gifts this year, which are MY personal favourites. The Peanuts pop up store is particularly cute. Choose your artwork and name, et voila, custom artwork.

Preschoolers will love the array of Peppa Pig toys.

This Toy Story booth is a cute photo opp for kids to pretend to be a toy on sale for Christmas.

Arty kids are covered with a particularly big arts and crafts area, including brands like Crayola and Seedling.

Another hit with the preschooler set is this huge Thomas the Tank Engine and toys.

A bit of face painting fun at the craft station.

The most popular item at the Giftorium this year – personalised Nutella jars. For only $12, it’s a gift that is unique, cheap and delicious. Myer is the only retailer in Australia to offer this service in-store. It’s available in all stores as well as online from November 6.

Christmas decorations abound with plenty of ideas for making your home look jolly.

Right in the back of the store is a mini train that gives free rides to kiddies.

Next to the train depot is this little indoor play area. Perfect for letting kids run their sillies out with one parent supervising while the other does some sneaky Christmas shopping.

Santaland is next door to the train – beat the queue by booking online. This year Santa has brought his reindeer with him – kids can give the slumbering Rudolph a little pat when they visit.

Another personalision service available at the Myer Christmas Giftorium – custom Santa sacks and Christmas stockings.

My two favourite takeaways from the Myer Christmas Giftorium.

Are you excited about Christmas too? What’s on your Chrissie wish list?

Sleeping Beauty High Tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel

November 14, 2015 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food / 4 Comments

The combination of two of my favourite things makes for an irresistible outing. I’ve been a lover of ballet my entire life, and of high teas for a good 10 years or so. Together, they are a bit magical!

I’ve booked tickets this year to see the Australian Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty and also their children’s version of the Sleeping Beauty Storytime Ballet. An evening at the ballet has been a highlight of mine over the years. One of my dearest friends and I have been seeing attending the ballet every year since our university days, and recently have started taking our daughters to the Australian Ballet’s children’s performances too. When I saw the Sofitel Wentworth had a new high tea inspired by the Australian Ballet’s new Sleeping Beauty ballet, I knew we had to go, and take the girls too.

The Sleeping Beauty High Tea is available for a limited time only (Nov 1 2015 – Jan 31 2016) and is an excellent showcase of the skills of their talented Head pastry Chef Vai Hong Lo and internationally renowned Executive Chef Boris Cuzon.

Sleeping Beauty High Tea at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel via christineknight.me

The high tea is timed to co-incide with David McAllister’s lavish reimagining of The Sleeping Beauty, performing at the Sydney Opera House from 01 November 2015 – 31 January 2016. I have tickets towards the end of November and I am counting down the days.

If you too are a ballet and high tea lover, then you too may enjoy a decadent afternoon indulging in both of your loves at the same time.

Another detail worth noting is the Sofitel Sydney’s collaboration with lifestyle designer Cristina Re. Her vintage-inspired exclusive Signature High Tea collection is now a part of the luxury high tea experience. I really enjoyed the delicate China in its beautiful pinks and purples with 24 carat gold finishes. A really modern China with romantic colours, a perfect fit for the ballet theme as you can see from the images.

The Sofitel Sydney has amazing attention to detail with their high teas. The menu for the special high tea was specially printed with a floral design, as were the colouring in sheets given to the girls to occupy them. The purple ribbons around the cutlery were a gorgeous touch.

The table was beautifully set up for our arrival, including a glass full of pencils for the girls to use to colour in. I really appreciated the thoughtfulness in regards to the girls, who, at 4 and 6, are on the young side to be taking to a high tea, mostly because they both eat like birds and also aren’t the best at sitting still for long periods.

Our tea choices arrived in individual pots, each contained at least 3, maybe 4 cups of tea. Much appreciated as I love, love, love tea.

Even though the children’s tea is advertised as coming with soft drink, Cheese was offered a more suitable hot chocolate option, which came with a sweet heart flower design (she loved it), and a little square of chocolate. The barista was particular to make it very lukewarm so as not to burn her little tongue. Cheese tipped a (hopefully clean) finger in and pronounced it perfect.

The teas arrived looking absolutely amazing. The children’s high tea is actually exactly the same as the adult’s high tea but is served with the soft drinks instead of a pot of tea. This makes it the best value children’s high tea I’ve ever seen.

Sweet layer 1:
Raspberry and white chocolate dome
Vanilla bean choux
“Kiss” chocolate tartlet

Sweet layer 2:
Macarons
Candy floss “spindle” – the feature element in the high tea is this “spindle in a glass” consisting of a spindle shaped chocolate with pink and blue fairy floss.
Fairy bread cheese cake

Savoury layer:
Scones, cream, jam
Smoked salmon, cucumber, multigrain bread
Roasted beef, mustard, tomato, brioche
Mushroom quiche
* Avocado, cucumber, tomato on brioche
* Vegetable pesto on multigrain bread

The highlight sweet for me was the raspberry and white chocolate dome and vanilla bean choux. I really love fruity desserts and the raspberry dome was lovely and tangy with its tartness. The vanilla bean choux was kind of like a profiteroles but better – light and fluffy and stuffed with the most amazing creamy custard.

Cheese loved the fairy floss in the cup. She actually ate all three of them before I could stop her. They were delicious from the tiny bit I managed to snaffle. Not sickeningly sweet like the commercial fairy floss you usually get. Both the girls loved the “lips” on the chocolate tart – playing with them more than eating them, but they did have a lot of fun and they were eventually eaten and enjoyed.

Out of the savouries I enjoyed the quiche the most – I am very partial to a good quiche! Nice buttery pastry on the outside, fluffy eggy centre with bits of leek and mushroom throughout. The sandwiches were made with lovely fresh bread and toppings. Sandwiches often get served hard edge to them that shows they’ve been out in the air too much, but these were so soft and fluffy.

The scones were on the smaller side, more like an American biscuit than an English scone. The petite size actually helped in that I could eat them both – the plain and current one – without getting completely full on just the scones. They came served with two good sized bowls of jam and cream. The jam was a burst of fruit flavour, but i would have liked it to be a tad thicker only to stop me from making a mess of it when I tried to spoon it onto the scones and failed miserably when I got the tablecloth instead. I enjoyed the thickly whipped cream.

Both the girls started to get restless towards the end and made their own “tea” out of milk, tea, hot chocolate and whatever else they could get their grimy little hands on. A massive thank you to the attentive and tolerant staff who didn’t blink at their “delicious” concoctions.

The Sleeping Beauty High Tea is available 01 November 2015 – 31 January 2016.

$59* per person including a glass of Veuve Clicquot

$65* per person including sparkling wine for the duration

$39* per child (5-12 years) inclusive of soft drinks

*Vegetarian substitutions

Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
61-101 Phillip Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9228 9188
Bookings
Get Directions

Thank you to the Sofitel Wentworth for hosting us. All opinions and “adorable” children are our own.

The 30 steps it takes to get a preschooler to sleep

November 13, 2015 / Family, Kids / 22 Comments

When bedtime rolls around each night, my husband and I draw straws to see whose turn it is to battle our biggest war of the day – the epic fight to get our preschooler to sleep. The losing party quietly celebrates by cooking dinner in peace, while the winner uses all their patience to weather the next 30 steps without losing their mind.

Bath time! The only part of the night that doesn’t come with a battle. It is not, as described by many an article a “relaxing, winding down part of the evening” however, as it actually amps our child up even more. At least she plays happily with her toys in the bath, and washes without a fuss.
Dry down. The child gets that bit more hyper and runs around the house naked, begging not to have her hair combed.
Child is subdued/bribed and taken back to her room, dripping wet where she may or may not agree to her hair being brushed.
Last potty before bed. “I DON’T NEED TO GO POTTY!”
Pyjamas on.
Time for books. “It’s super late, please choose short books.”
“No, Hello Ruby is NOT a short book …”
The most peaceful part of the night commences. Book time is glorious.
Books away, chaos ensues. And by chaos, I mean trampolining off the bed and out the door.
Time for a last drink of milk and brushing of teeth. “I need to brush my teeth so germs don’t make them fall out.” There, she does listen!
We pretend it’s going to be easy for her to fall asleep. I tuck her in, kiss her cute cheeks and whisper “I love you!”. Perching on the bottom of the bed, this is the pivotal moment where most nights start to go downhill.
“Mama, I’m not tired. I want to play.” Yep, it’s going to be one of those nights.
The legs start vibrating under the doona and her eyes are wide open.
“More milk!”
“More COLD milk.” GEEEEEZ.
“Sing a song for me, Mama!” A hundred rounds of Goodnight, Sweetheart later and the only result is I’ve got a sore throat.
“I need to go potty!” What a surprise.
“More milk!”
“I need a Daddy hug!”
“I can’t find Dolly!”
“My tummy’s rumbly!” “Here, have a banana.”
“What are we doing tomorrow, Mommy?” “School!” “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“I’m cold, can you pull up my covers?”
“I’m HOT, so HOT!” Air conditioner, on.
“I don’t need Dolly.”
“I do need Dolly!”
“I want Daddy, not Mommy!” A well-known play, the last minute switch. The last line of defense.
Legs stop vibrating and kicking, and the head finally rests on the pillow. The battle is slowly coming to a close.
A little voice softly sings to herself. “Baby you’re a firework, come on show them what you’re worth!”
The tiny voice gets quieter and the words become mumbled. The eyes slowly droop and her breathing gets heavy. Breathe a sigh of relief, the bedtime battle is over for another night.

This article first appeared on MommyNearest.

Sculpture By The Sea, Bondi 2015

November 9, 2015 / Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 8 Comments

Sculpture By The Sea is one of the highlights on my Sydney calendar. I try to go every year (on the blog are 2014, 2009 and 2008!). The sculpture exhibition is the largest free public exhibition in the world and I’m betting the most breathtaking, given its surrounds. The sculptures dot along the coast line from Bondi to Tamarama. Competition for a place in the exhibition is fierce. This year Sculpture By The Sea received 500 submissions from 41 countries and 6 territories around the world.

Sculpture By The Sea runs for two weeks only. On weekends the walk is so busy it’s very hard to get walk along, so I suggest going on a weekday if possible, particularly with kids. We tend to drive to the Tamarama end and park there or even around the next corner in Bronte rather than in Bondi, where a parking spot is rarer than a table at the Grounds of Alexandria for Saturday brunch.

It’s worth noting if you’re planing to do the walk with kids that there are a lot of stairs involved, so either bring a stroller you can carry up and down stairs and visit on a week day, or carry your child in a carrier. If neither of these are options, check out the sculptures at Tamarama (where there is a ramp to the sculptures) or Mark Place. The Sculpture By The Sea website has information on accessibility.

Down on Tamarama Beach these giant squeezy bottles were the most popular sculpture for adults and kids alike.

Marks Place is about halfway on the walk and is also home to the Grounds by the Sea Pop-up cafe during the walk. This year it looks like the hobbits moved in. As a side note, if you’re looking for a bathroom, they’re located at Tamarama Beach, Bondi Beach, or Marks Place.

This little playground is at Marks Place too – a great spot for kids to swing on something without being told either not to touch or stand away from the edge, which is what I was saying on repeat to Cheese for a lot of the walk.

At the Bondi Beach end, the view is spectacular. Oh what a day!

Have you been to Sculpture by the Sea?

Cow and Moon: Sydney’s Best Gelato

November 9, 2015 / Enmore, Inner West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Hi, my name’s Christine, and I’m a gelato-aholic. I have a serious problem with ice cream and gelato, and honestly visiting Cow and Moon in Enmore does not help. This little inner-west gelataria has had a line out the door since they were awarded best gelato in the world, winning the Gelato World Tour in Rimini, Italy.

The flavour that won Cow and Moon the title was their almond affogato flavour, a re-creation of classic affogato. None of our family like coffee-flavoured gelato, so we all had something different off the menu. Their Strawberry Balsamic is often raved about, but we chose the Breakfast Mix (berries, yoghurt and cereal), Hokey Pokey (big chunks of toffee in creamy vanilla) and classic Chocolate.

Gelato cakes – this one was $42.

The smallest gelato size is $5.50 in a cup or cone, with a choice of one or two flavours. This size was perfect for an adult but too big for a small child. I’d love to see a “tiny” version with half the amount of gelato in it for kids.

The gelato was, as promised, amazing. Right up there with my other favourite, Messina Gelato, as some of the best gelato I’ve ever tasted. There’s a good reason people line up for this stuff – it’s amazing. I really enjoy gelato that is bursting with flavours and full of chunky ingredients. Cow and Moon have indeed perfected gelato and I can’t wait to go back.

Cow and Moon is a cafe, so you can order coffee and food if you’re not in the mood for gelato, or just sit and slowly enjoy your scoops like we did.

Have you been to Cow and Moon? What’s your favourite flavour?

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Cow and Moon
181 Enmore Rd,
Enmore NSW 2042
Phone: (02) 9557 4255
Prices: $
Hours: Sun-Thurs 8:30am-10:30pm, Fri & Sat 8:30am-11:30pm
Get Directions

Cuckoo Calley: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Newtown, Sydney

November 9, 2015 / Inner West, Newtown, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Newtown is the place to go if you want quirkiness in abundance. The suburb is vibrant, artsy and always just a little bit different, which makes it one of my favourites in Sydney for just about everything. The cafe scene in Newtown has been revitalised in the past five years in particular, matching the quirk-factor with quality, often innovative, food.

On our recent Newtown visit we brunched at Cuckoo Calley, a very quirky cafe situated in the Newtown train station historic building. The cafe prides itself on having the best coffee, marvelous food, nifty design and the friendliest staff. “A destination spot”.

The cafe looks small from the outside, but has a fair amount of space within, as well as the seats that spill onto the pavements. Dogs are more than allowed, they are welcomed with open arms and special doggie items on the menu. Pooches can order themselves Pupples ($3, homemade dog treats) or a Pupchino ($3, made of goats milk).

The customer next to us thoroughly enjoyed both his pupachino as well as the chin scratches the staff gave him each time they walked past.

The tables had these great Campbell’s soup tins for cutlery and fresh flowers. Great splashes of colour to liven up the decor.

Cuckoo Calley is one of the friendliest cafes we have ever been to. EVER. Nowhere else has Cheese been welcomed so effusively. The amazing staff not only greeted her, but took the time to ask her about what she was playing with, what their names were, etc. When a cafe makes kids feel welcome like this, it makes the parents feel at ease, helps everyone relax, and ensures a great dining experience for everyone.

Gluten-free treats available at the counter.

We ordered George’s Gorgeous Cousin ($17, Marinated avocado and thyme infused confit heirloom tomatoes on sourdough, goats curd, house made basil pesto, lemon herb gremolata and a 63° egg), Kids Cheese Jaffle, $5, and the Kids Nutella Milkshake, $5.

My George’s Gorgeous Cousin was so delicious. The addition of spices like dukkah in the pesto just lifted the dish to the ned level of deliciousness – all those vibrant tastes with the fresh zesty tomatoes, creamy avocado and just the right amount of goat’s curd, were just deliciious. Cheese’s toastie was perfectly cooked (amazingly it seems hard to get toast served that is not burnt) and she devoured it, as well as the Nutella milkshake that was actually the perfect size for kids and gone in about 20 seconds.

The menu had a lot more vegetarian options than most cafes have, so I will absolutely be back to try every single one of them. We need more cafes like this in Sydney, where everyone feels welcome and at home.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Cuckoo Calley
Newtown Railway station,
324A King St,
Newtown NSW 2042
Phone: (02) 9557 7006
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 6am-4pm, Sat 8am-4pm, Sun 8am-3pm
Get Directions

Sydney Guide: Newtown Street Art

November 7, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life / 8 Comments

Newtown, a little suburb in Sydney’s inner west, has long been a vibrant home to artists and creatives. While the main roads, King Street and Enmore Road, are packed with quirky boutiques and hip cafes, the backstreets are quiet and full of beautiful terrace houses and some absolutely gorgeous street art.

Our family love wandering the streets to discover new murals – there are so many that it’s impossible to see them all.

Have you been to Newtown? Do you like street art?

How To Deal With A Crappy Day

November 6, 2015 / Writing / 14 Comments

I usually try to keep this blog upbeat, but I’m not an upbeat person all the time. I’m not overly resilient (although I’d like to be!) and I have my share of crappy days where I just feel like everything is going pear shaped. Particularly work-wise. I find it harder than I’d thought to keep up my spirits when working as a freelancer when I have these types of days as there isn’t the social environment of an office to distract me.

If you’re having a day like this (and I’m having one today!) this is how I deal with them and come out the other side feeling positive again.

Wallow
Own your feelings for a few minutes. Yep you feel like crap, a bit worthless, unemployable, a failure. I love a good wallow. Sometimes wallowing is accompanied by whining or wine. Both are acceptable in small doses.

Work out why
Why is today in particular getting you down? For me it’s often that I’ve had a shocking nights sleep and I’m tired and have a headache. I also feel like this when I have a bit of FOMO – like everyone is doing something awesome or getting great opportunities except me. Which is rubbish, but sometimes it still feels like this.

Do something productive
Once I’ve shaken myself out of the pity party, I try and find a positive way to turn around the bad day. Feeling low because I don’t have work published in a certain magazine? Look up the editor and email them a pitch. Or research other similar sites or publications and pitch to them instead. Feeling lonely? Email a few friends and suggest getting together. Missed out on a media event? Ask someone who went directly who organized the event and email them, introducing yourself and asking to be put on their media list for next time.

Do something to feel better
Getting endorphins flowing helps me when I’m feeling down. I go for a walk, take a barre class, do some yoga in the living room. I try to put all of the worries out of my heard and think about absolutely nothing. On days when I’m too exhausted to do anything else, instead of flogging a dead horse I spend some time taking care of myself like getting a pedicure or reading a book for an hour just to calm my mind.

Get busy
You can’t force creativity. On days like this I can’t write anything useful, it’s all a forced incoherent mess. Instead of wasting time staring at a blank screen I do all the “busywork” I’ve been putting off. Paying bills, processing photos, replying to emails. I feel as though I’ve accomplished something and also freed up some time that can be used in the future for other creative projects.

How about you? How do you deal with crappy day blues?

Linking up with Bron.

Sydney Festival: Highlights For Families

November 5, 2015 / Indoor Play, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Sydney Festival Family-Friendly Events via christineknight.me — Viviana Cangialosi © Salvador Dalí, Fundación Gala-Salvador Dalí.

The Sydney Festival is back for 2016 and loaded with family-friendly events. A lot of them are free and suitable for all ages. I’ve put together a round up of the best events for families with little kids, and two events for slightly bigger kids that look pretty good, too.

The People’s Tower
Drop by with kids on Jan 8 & 9 for a BOXWARS creative workshop. Kids can build and decorate their own miniature cardboard creations.
Darling Harbour
FREE

The Ephemeral City
Creative workshops for kids at BOXWARS Kids’ workshops 12-24 January, 2pm-7pm. Or try the flying fox 8-24 January, 2pm-8pm.
The Cutaway Barangaroo Reserve
FREE

Arquitectura De Feria
A fantastical playground for the whole family: think ferris wheels fitted out with toilet seats and a bicycle-powered carousel. 7-24 January Tue-Thur & Sun, 2pm-8pm, Fri & Sat 2pm-10pm. Closed Mondays.
Prince Alfred Square
Parramatta
FREE

Family Week
Free activities for kids during the school holidays. Drop by the City of Sydney’s Lawn Library, make masks with the Australian Museum and discover rhythms with Adam Page. The Silent Bubble Disco in particular looks like a lot of fun. Head to the website for more details on the event.
12-16 January
Festival Village
FREE & Ticketed events
Silent Bubble Disco: 12-15 January, 10am-3pm, 16 January, 12-3pm

Sunny Ray And The Magnificent Moon
A delightful show for littlies about what it’s like to stay up all night.
Ages 4 and up
12 January 3pm
13-16 January 10am & 12pm
Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent
45 mins
Tickets $25

Tolu
A family-friendly gravity-defying circus.
Ages 4 and up
14-16 January 1pm
The Famous Spiegeltent
45 mins
Tickets $30/27

My Family’s Weirder Than Your Family
A funny family show by comedian Josh Earl.
Ages 5 and up
12 January 10am
13 January 11am & 1pm
14-16 January 11am
The Famous Spiegeltent
45 mins
Tickets $35

Australia Day
Various FREE events all over Sydney, such as a Wiggles concert on the Sydney Opera House forecourt (note the event is still ticketed even though it is free). See the website for info on all events happening.
Jan 26

The Rabbits
An adaptation of John Marsden and Shaun Tan’s picture book set to Kate Miller-Heidke’s score, alongside opera singers. Ages 8 and up.
14-24 January
Roslyn Packer Theatre
60mins
See website for ticket details.

La Verita
Circus, clowning, acrobatics, dance and music. Ages 7 and up.
8-17 January
Riverside Theatre
125 mins incl interval.
See website for ticket details.

The Sydney Festival runs from Jan 7-26 2016.

Cats The Musical: Sydney’s Best Musicals

November 2, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 18 Comments

After the little Cheese turned four, I started thinking about taking her to see her first proper musical. My amazingly brave parents took me to see my first at the same age – Camelot, it was, with the beautiful Marina Prior in her first musical theatre role and Richard Harris as Arthur. It was magical and I’ve never forgotten the experience. It started what’s become a life-long love of musical theatre for me, and I’ve been really excited about introducing my daughter to the theatre, too.

I decided Cats would be perfect for her first proper show because it’s known for being extremely family-friendly. Nothing dark or nasty, no violence or bad words, just beautiful singing and dancing, with life-sized cats.

So off Cheese and I went to the opening night of Cats in Sydney. Inside the foyer the face painting was a great addition and really helped her get into the vibe of the show.

Cats is one of the few major musicals I’d never seen before, so I was equally excited to see the show. Briefly, Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh. The musical has a very basic storyline, making it easy for kids to follow along – it tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make what is known as “the Jellicle choice” and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

Cats is famous for being one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history since its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.

Since its world premiere, has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by more than 73 million people worldwide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.

The new revival of Cats has just arrived in Sydney following a season in London’s West End. Notable in the cast is Delta Goodrem, Australia’s fabulously talented singer, songwriter, performer, pianist and actress.

Ms Goodrem played the part of Grizabella, the cat who sings the famous song “Memory”. She wasn’t on stage much, but when she was, the moments were show stopping. After she belted out “Memory”, Cheese turned to me and said, “She has the most beautiful voice!”, which almost made me cry. Mission complete. My daughter was hooked.

Cats is one of those shows that is superb in its staging, choreography and, oh, let’s not forget the gorgeous music. This musical is award-winning for a very good reason – it’s one of those experiences you’ll never forget. From the moment the show opens with cats running down the aisles to the closing scene, it’s a non-stop purr-iffic display of showmanship from every member of the cast and crew.

If you’re wondering how my daughter went during her first show, she was a champion, despite it going well past her bedtime. I collected a booster seat for her at the cloakroom so she was able to see the stage better, and she spend most of the show perched on her seat, or sitting on my lap when she got tired. She wasn’t used to the convention of applauding after every number, so for the first few songs she asked “Is that the end?” after each number. She did comment “This show is very long” when we were about 15 minutes in (yikes), but she was very happy to keep watching and, even better, during interval said how much she loved Grizabella (“She’s so beautiful!”) and the dancing white cat, who I read in the program was a professional ballet dancer.

I bought the program to add to our collection, and we looked through it together before the second half began, commenting on which characters we’d seen so far, and which ones were coming up next.

When the show was into their final number, gold confetti was shot into the air and all over the audience. This was much to the delight of Cheese, who thought it would be a great idea to bolt out of her seat and down the aisle to where the confetti was pooling on the floor. For a terrifying moment I thought she was going to keep going onto the stage, but thankfully she stopped at the pile of confetti glittering at the end of the aisle and started tossing it over her head and in the air just as the performers left the stage. It was one of those parenting moments where I wasn’t sure of what I should do, and settled for doing nothing, crouching next to her to prevent any further craziness from ensuing.

If you’re thinking of seeing Cats on your own, with friends or with your kids, do it. What a magical experience for any age. I know the memory of this special evening will stay in both mine and Cheese’s hearts forever.

Cats the Musical Australia is currently playing at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney, until 29 Nov 2015. Check the website to buy tickets in a city near you.

Thank you to AB Publicity for facilitating our amazing experience at Cats.