Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

Why We Don’t Eat Fish: Conversations With My 3-Year-Old

February 5, 2015 / Cheese, Family, Kids / 17 Comments

I’m vegetarian for ethical reasons, and have been for a long time. I don’t talk about it a lot unless asked directly, but it’s a part of my life I feel very passionate about. When Alec and I were pregnant with Cheese, the topic came up, because we had to decide how to raise our daughter, in our mixed-food family. Our home is vegetarian because I do all the cooking, but Alec eats some types of meat when he’s out.

We made the decision to raise Cheese as a vegetarian. The idea was that I would teach her how to eat a balanced diet without meat as part of the equation, so she would be able to make her own decision later in life with a good knowledge of all her dietary options.

At home, it’s been easy. When we go out, sometimes a bit more challenging. There would be times where Alec would order meat at a restaurant and she want to try whatever he was eating, and also occasions when we’d visit friends who;d serve the kids things like fish fingers, and she’d want to try what the other kids were having. Learning how to handle these situations with a baby and young toddler were not the easiest.

Generally, I’d let her try most things. She had a bite of a fish finger and spat it out. She might have eaten a tiny piece of chicken stuffed into pasta once. If avoidable without a meltdown though, I’ve distracted her with something else to avoid the meat situation.

Up until today, I’ve felt a bit strange about it all – basically enforcing my values on another person who doesn’t understand why. I’ve doubted my hard stance on and off, because she’s been so little and it didn’t seem fair to deny her things that other people eat, just because I believed it to be wrong.

We had a moment tonight, however, that changed my mind and made me glad that I persisted with this path for us. We were reading a book before bed: Meg And Mog In The Fog, where Meg and Mog get stuck on an island, and Mog catches and eats a fish. We get to this spot in the story and Cheese interrupts with “Why?” Why did they eat the fish?”.

Cheese hadn’t been aware until now that people ate fish. She thought fish were just spending their lives swimming in the ocean. I explained to her, “Some people eat fish when they’re hungry. Mog was hungry, so he ate the fish.”. “But why?” She asked again. I tried to go with a broader answer that encompassed the larger issue. “Some people eat animals like fish as part of their food every day. We don’t eat animals though, because we’re vegetarian. That means we don’t eat animals.”

This explanation made sense to my animal-loving kid. “That’s right,” she said. “We don’t eat animals, we just eat FOOD”. Super cute way to describe it. And suddenly, everything about the lifestyle I chose for us felt right.

I’m really not surprised that she feels this way now that she is starting to be able to understand what it all means, because she is a really empathetic kid. She absolutely adores animals like I do. I mean, she LOVES animals, all animals, so it makes sense that thinking of eating one is repulsive to her.

I find the age Cheese is at to be absolutely wonderful in so many ways. The best thing is her new ability to understand and reason – I love talking with her about why things are the way they are, and helping her learn about the world. Shaping this little person’s life is a hugely scary responsibility that I do not take lightly.

Am I Being A Good Enough Mum?

February 5, 2015 / Family / 14 Comments

I honestly didn’t think motherhood would be so emotionally hard. Pre-kid, I imagined I would pop out my little one and then get back to my regular daily life—just with a sidekick in tow. What I didn’t imagine was all the second guessing I would be doing about my own mothering skills. I’m constantly obsessing that I’m not doing the right thing and always assume I’m falling short of what I want to be, which is a really great parent. Here are 10 worries I currently have about my parenting:

1. Is she having too much TV/iPad time?

I’m sure the fact that I’m giving her any TV or screen time is bad. She knows all the words to the Barney and Friends songs and is now onto Strawberry Shortcake.

2. Is she eating enough nutrients?

Actually, she won’t eat most things. Her diet is basically white pasta (no sauce), eggs, fruit and toast. The only vegetable she’ll eat is corn on the cob.

3. Is she okay at daycare?

I hate leaving my daughter with strangers and daycare is no exception. While I’ve done the best I could to choose a reputable facility, I still worry constantly over whether it’s the right place for her.

4. Is she getting enough sleep?

My child has been a bad sleeper since birth. At age three she still wakes up most nights. I’m exhausted and I worry about how tired my daughter must be! How can I help her to get the sleep she needs so she’s not rubbing her eyes all day?

5. Does she have too many toys?

Have I spoiled her with too much ‘stuff’? I don’t know, but I know I’m always feeling insecure about it.

6. Does she need siblings?

My husband and I are 99.9% sure that we’re happy with our single child, but am I doing her a disservice by making her an only child?

7. Am I sending the right message?

When I hear the same words I’ve spoken offhand repeated by her little chirping voice I resolve over and over again to be careful what I say around her. I want my daughter to believe she is strong and amazing and can do anything. The thought of my careless words destroying her self-esteem kills me.

8. Am I setting a good example?

I try, really I do, but curse words sometimes come out and all kinds of thoughtless other things that I really shouldn’t be saying around someone who is a sponge and absorbs everything I say.

9. Do I yell too much?

I’m sure the answer to this is yes and I hate it.

10. Am I being patient enough?

I’m an impatient person at the best of times. I’m trying so hard to be more patient with this tiny person sharing my life. I know I say “quick quick, we’re running late!” too often. We need more days with slow footpath ambling, pointing out spider-webs and picking up fallen leaves. These are the happy days that my child loves, the moments she tells her daddy about when we get home.

This article first appeared on Mommynearest.com

Three Blue Ducks: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bronte

February 4, 2015 / Bronte, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

Three Blue Ducks is a tiny restaurant up the hill from Bronte Beach. Even though it’s away from the main crowd of sun seekers, be prepared for a wait as this popular eatery is always busy.

The focus at Three Blue Ducks is local produce. A lot of their fresh ingredients come straight from their on-site garden (more on that later). Where possible, they use organic, Fairtrade, biodynamic and locally sourced products.

The Three Blue Ducks team also works with the local community to promote sustainable food practices by supporting initiatives such as Grow it Local, and setting up footpath herb gardens for all to share. All of the restaurant’s organic waste is collected and composted by locals, and local community gardens, which, in turn, grows food for local families. They also have a rooftop solar power system for use in the kitchen and dining areas and all cleaning chemicals are eco-friendly, non-toxic and biodegradable, and they use biodegradable takeaway containers.

We met at Three Blue Ducks with friends for a week day lunch when it was easier to get a table. The wait staff were very friendly, and happily found is a great table where we could all fit comfortably by the window.

Our group ordered: Raw Salad of Spinach, Beetroot, Fennel, Red Cabbage, Pomegranate, Parsley, Goats Cheese with Bird Seed Mix and Chardonnay Vinegar ($22), special of the day: Fish Cakes, Steak Sandwich with red pepper mayo, tomato, onion marmalade and rocket ($18), kids’ milk shake and friand.

My salad was huge and full of nutritious things. It was fresh, light and crunchy. Absolutely delicious.

Follow the alley down past the bathrooms to find a little garden area that kids can explore.

Watch out for bees!

The garden is full of herbs and vegetables – fun for teaching kids where their food comes from and what they look like before they’re picked.

And chickens are always a favourite! The back garden area is a great place for kids to get their energy out while parents are enjoying a relaxing brunch.

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

http://www.blackstarpastry.com.au/” target=”_blank”>Three Blue Ducks
143 Macpherson Street,
Bronte NSW 2024
Phone: (02) 9389 0010
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Tues 7am-3:30pm, Wed-Sat 7am-12am
Get Directions

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.