Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

Christmas in Sydney 2014

December 24, 2014 / Cheese, Family, Kids / 2 Comments

This year is a special Christmas – it’s our first back in Sydney since Cheese’s first, when she was only four months old, and it’s also the first one where she’s really “gotten” Christmas and is excited by Santa, reindeers, Christmas trees and carols. We’ve had a really fun few weeks checking out all of the Christmas cheer around the city, including our favourites below.

The Queen Victoria Building is always beautiful at Christmas. The Giant Swarovski tree in the centre is just spectacular, with 144,000 glorious Swarovski crystal ornaments and 60,000 twinkling lights. I really love that on each floor of the building you get to see a different part of the tree.

On the very top floor is where Santa holds court at Christmas. The QVB Santa is popular, so we got in early this year to avoid queues. He’s the happiest Santa I’ve ever seen, and I also really liked his helpers, who made Cheese laugh and feel comfortable enough to go and sit with Santa on her own for the first time since she was a tiny baby.

The bottom of the Swarovski tree is basically made of lights. It’s a magnet for small kids and selfie-takers alike. This is actually a really sentimental spot for me and Alec from our own dating history, many Christmases ago now.

Nearby in Pitt Street mall is the Lego Christmas tree – built entirely of Lego bricks. It features a surfing Santa, very appropriate for an Australian Christmas.

For the first time this Christmas, I took Cheese to join friends at a Christmas evening concert in Hyde Park. I wasn’t sure how she’d go with the late night, but she had a fantastic time at the concert, watching the kids’ performers like High 5 singing Christmas songs, making a craft Christmas tree, and dancing with her little friend.

We’ve been such Christmas nomads for the past few years, with Christmases in Hawaii and New York, that it’s really nice to be back home with our family and friends this year.

Family Travel Essentials: Making Travel With Kids Easier

December 23, 2014 / Travel / 0 comment

I was asked recently when we started travelling with Cheese. I didn’t think we’d travelled much with her, since she was such a tough baby and crazy active toddler, but when I added up the trips we’d done, it turns out our little lady is a pretty experienced world traveller already. In her three short years she’s flown from Sydney to New York three times, and has also been on trips to Hawaii, San Francisco, Canada and Mexico. Huh. Guess we travel more than I’d thought.

We’ve been on so many big long flights now that I feel like I’ve got travel with a little one down to a fine art – as much as that’s possible. While there will always be times when they won’t nap on the plane, or they’re bored and have a meltdown (and don’t get me started on the jetlag), travel with a little kid has gotten less stressful with the right tools. I’m sharing them below in case you’d like to try them too.

Kids’ Suitcase
We acquired an insanely cute Sunny Trunki kids’ suitcase for Cheese before our recent Queensland trip. The Trunki is a hand-luggage sized ride-on suitcase that is the perfect size to pack with everything you might need to entertain a kid on a flight.

Made from lightweight, durable plastic, the Trunki has a removable shoulder strap and can be used in three ways: The kid pulls it along themselves, then when said kid gets tired they can ride on it while you pull them along, and, finally, when it’s time to board the plane, the shoulder strap clips onto both sides so it can be thrown over your shoulder. While Trunkis are easy to find in the US, in Australia, you can get them from David Jones. Seriously, this ride-on suitcase made our last trip so much easier.

Carry-on luggage
I take a backpack that does double duty as a day bag when we’re out and about on our trips. I’m currently using a really cute backpack from Smiggle that has a laptop sleeve in the back, two pouches on either side for mine and Cheese’s water bottles and a front pocket where I shove anything needed urgently, like nappies, wipes, change mat.

Umbrella stroller
We still take the stroller with us as we walk a lot and if we don’t take it, someone always ends up carrying the Cheese. We love our stroller, the UppaBaby G-Luxe. We bought it in the US, but they’re also available in Australia. The G-Luxe is the lightest reclining stroller in its class (Cheese will still occasionally nap in it!). It’s so light that I can easily collapse it and carry it over one shoulder when I’m navigating public transport and chasing Cheese at the same time. I always check the stroller at check-in, and try to get one of the big plastic protectors for it from the flight desk so it doesn’t come out the other end totally destroyed.

Baby carrier
I can still carry Cheese on my back in the Ergo (avail in the US and Australia), so I throw it in if we’re traveling somewhere that’s going to involve a lot of walking and isn’t stroller friendly.

Flight necessities
For long flights in particular, several changes of clothing (something about flying makes babies especially poop A LOT), and as many nappies as you can squeeze in if you’re child still needs them. I used to pack lots of fruit pouches and I still pack lots of snacks and a sandwich. Staff on the flight will give you plenty more snacks and also refill milk bottles as requested. I always take one of Cheese’s old muslin swaddles (it still doubles as a shade from the sun and a light blanket) and her favourite blanket and lovie that she still sleeps with to help her nap on planes. The blanket Cheese is attached to is an old aden + anais Dream Blanket (available in the US and Australia) that is made from the same breathable muslin as their swaddles – it washes up really well and adds just the right level of warmth needed.

To amuse the kid
I always bring the iPad stocked with new games, movies and TV episodes and kids’ headphones (if we forget them, we use Alec’s wireless headphones in a pinch). I also throw in a few new toys like stickers, a magnetic travel kit, small colouring book, crayons, and figurines (Cheese’s favourites). I whip out anything new in moments of meltdowns. Her absolute favourite toy right now is her set of princess magic clips. They occupy her for literally an hour at a time, so we always bring them on flights and to cafes too.

What do you find makes travel with kids easier?

The Tiger Who Came To Tea: Sydney’s Best Shows For Kids

December 18, 2014 / Cheese, Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 6 Comments

Growing up, The Tiger Who Came To Tea was a favourite book of mine. It’s such a fun concept, a tiger knocking on a door and asking to stay for tea, to a family who, while a bit surprised, don’t seem as surprised as you or I might be at a talking tiger appearing at their door and devouring not them, but their cake, sandwiches and tea. Utterly ridiculous and completely charming. Written by Judith Kerr in 1968, the book is still relevant today, as shown by the enduring success of the book, and current success of this stage show.

Several months back, I was at the Sydney Opera House with Cheese and friends at one of their Babies Proms. As we left the theatre, we were amazed to see a huge tiger (note: man dressed as tiger, not ACTUAL tiger) sitting down at a fancy high tea and having his photo taken. Turned out these shots were press pics for the new The Tiger Who Came To Tea show, which opened last week.

The girls wanted to have their photo taken with the tiger, hence the opening photo, and today we finally saw The Tiger Who Came To Tea show live.

As in the book, the show invites us into the lives of Sophie and her family, as they are faced with an unexpected, mayhem-inducing tea guest. The show closely follows the book, with some added details that give a bit more background into Sophie and her families’ lives. Fun songs break up the dialogue, and there is a delightfully silly dance number in the middle of the show that has the audience on their feet, brandishing their tiger claws and swishing their imaginary tails.

Another great interactive moment comes towards the end of the show, with an easy sing-a-long. The producers of the show have really done a fantastic job to create the perfect show for their target audience (kids aged 3-5-ish). The run time of 50 minutes was perfect for short attention spans, too.

Our group of two three-year-olds and one five-year-old thoroughly enjoyed the show. The wiggly three-year-olds were so mesmerised by the tiger and rest of the performance that they forgot to be wiggley, and the five-year-old laughed constantly at the physical humour (perfect casting too!).

If you’re in Sydney next week with little kids, take them to see The Tiger That Came To Tea. Our discerning mini-theatre goers give it several very enthusiastic thumbs up.

The Tiger Who Came To Tea is showing at the Sydney Opera House until December 28. Recommended for children aged 3+.

Toilet Training Battles With The Oricom Intelligent Potty (& GIVEAWAY!)

December 15, 2014 / Family, Kids, Product Reviews, Sydney Life / 16 Comments

Potty training in our house has been a battlefield. In the one corner, a very stubborn toddler. In the other, two very weary parents who are tired of cleaning poop up off the floor.

After six long months of trying various methods to toilet train Cheese, I met the Oricom folks at a blogging event, where, after hearing our toileting woes, I was offered one of their Oricom Intelligent Potties to try.

Honest moment: I previously thought all those fancy potties with all the bells and whistles were a waste of money. I just couldn’t see how sounds and lights and princesses were needed to get a child to do their business on a toilet. I was at breaking point though and willing to try absolutely anything to help us win the potty training war.

And here’s the moment where I eat my words as my toddler falls for the fancy Intelligent Potty by Oricom. She calls it her “magic potty” and for the first time since we started this toilet training debacle, she is actually keen to use a potty.

Now, you may ask, what about this potty is so “magical” (or “intelligent”)? Basically, the Intelligent Potty is designed to keep toddlers stimulated, interested and curious. It has an ergonomic design that is comfortable for toddlers to sit on (the arm rests are great), and also for parents to clean up afterwards (everyone wins!).

The potty also has a pre-recordable sound module where you press he record button and record your personalised message (maximum 6 seconds). You can change the recording as many times as you like. My message went something like this: “Yay! Good girl, you went to the toilet!”.

When your kid sits on the potty and starts to go, they hear hear the sound of running water after 2 seconds, which encourages them to keep on going. When they’re finished and stands up, they will then hear your personalised message, followed by a child’s classic tune (10 different songs to choose from, like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star).

So yes, fancy and MAGICAL. And it’s WORKING.

Product details:

Available in Menthol (IP100MT) and Stone (IP100ST) colours.

High back support encourages correct posture and sitting position

Side support prevents slippage

Rounded edges to eliminate pinching

$ 89.95 RRP

GIVEAWAY

The kind people at Oricom are offering Adventure, Baby! readers the chance to win their very own Oricom Intelligent Potty valued at $89.95.

Entry is open to Australian mailing addresses only. Enter view the Rafflecopter widget below. The winning entry will be chosen based on the creativity of the blog comment.

The competition opens 12:01am Thursday December 17, to 11:59pm Wednesday December 24, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fashion High Tea at Sheraton On The Park: Sydney’s Best High Teas

December 15, 2014 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

I have an obsession with high tea. The combination of a fluffy scone, the perfect egg sandwich and tiny cakes and chocolates makes me go weak at the knees. I am forever in search for the best high teas no matter which city I’m living in.

I had a bit of a high tea hiatus for a while when Cheese was very small, but now I’m able to take a bit of time for myself here and here, I’m back on the high tea trail. Given how little time I get to spend pampering myself these days, taking the time for a leisurely high tea is now an extra special occasion.

After taking Cheese solo for a week and a half while Alec was on a work trip, I was desperate for a relaxing day with an equally exhausted friend. With our husbands watching the kids, we slipped into the elegant Sheraton On The Park and indulged ourselves for a few hours with the Sheraton’s famous Fashion High Tea.

The Sheraton holds its high teas in The Gallery Tea Lounge – an elegant, quiet space overlooking the park. You can choose from the Fashion High Tea or the high tea buffet – both are an equally good choice. On this occasion we had the Fashion High Tea because I’m a sucker for the gorgeous fashion-themed desserts that are served exclusively as part of this high tea.

An important part of the high tea experience is exceptional service, and this is where the Sheraton shines. My dear friend and I sank our weary limbs into the plush arm chairs and were waited on by the efficient and friendly staff.

After our glasses of sparkling wine landed in our hands, the three-tiered masterpiece quickly arrived next: top tier desserts, middle tier sandwiches and wraps, and bottom tier scones. Note: I’m vegetarian, so the sandwiches were altered for my servings.

I always start with sandwiches when attacking a high tea. Mine were egg mayonaise and cress on white bread, pumpkin, goat cheese and sun dried tomato wrap and a vegetable wrap. The non-vegetarian options were smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese on rye bread, chicken sweetcorn and dijon mustard on multigrain bread, and smoked ham, swiss cheese, grain mustard and alfalfa sprouts on a mini croissants.

The sandwiches were perfect. Fluffy bread, light and fresh fillings. Yum.

Next, scones. This high tea includes one plain and one raisin scone per person, served with strawberry jam and pure double cream. Also on this platter is warm asparagus and onion quiches.

The scones are freshly baked, and the jam a sweet punch of flavour. The mini quiche is a great mouthful of savoury pastry that makes a great break between the scones and dessert platter.

Last stop: Desserts. This plate includes lemon rind cheese cupcakes, truffle chocolate heels, strawberry cream purse and bonnet berry cake.

Also included is a choice of La Maison Du The French handcrafted tea, penelope sach organic herbal tea, vittoria espresso coffee or hot chocolate made with Lindt chocolate.

We chose from the penelope sach herbal tea range: berry for me (a rich warm and invigorating red wine tea minus the alcohol, scented with hawthorn berry, elder berry & juniper berry) and triple e for my friend (a sweet, tangy liquorice energy booster, scented with liquorice root, peppermint and fennel).

The tea pots were a generous size, giving us over three cups of tea each. Extremely delicious teas, that smelled divine and tasted just as good as their description. The teas were served with delicious butter cookies – a lovely touch.

I had a wonderful high tea at the Sheraton. It was everything this mum needed for a relaxing afternoon with a friend. A quiet space, friendly service, absolutely delicious food, not to mention great company to share it with. A highly recommended high tea for a special occasion, or just because you need a bit of RNR.

The Fashion High Tea Stand
Includes one coffee or tea per person.
$89 for two
Sparkling Tea Stand
Includes two glasses of Domain Chandon Brut.
$109 for two

The Fashion High Tea is served daily 11:30am.

Sheraton On The Park Fashion High Tea
161 Elizabeth Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9286 6000
Prices: $$$
Get Directions

Thank you to Sheraton On The Park for hosting us.

Cheese’s First Ballet: Once Upon A Time

December 12, 2014 / Cheese, Family, Kids / 2 Comments

Ballet has been one of the biggest loves of my life. From the age of three (yep, Cheese’s age!) I somehow became aware of ballet and started to beg for lessons. My parents thought it would be a fad like all others I’d had thus far and made me wait two years to take lessons. Unlike all of my other interests, which were mostly short-lived, ballet captured my imagination and then heart and soul.

Ballet has brought so much joy to my life that I’ve always hoped I could share this love with my child when I eventually had one. Little Cheese has clearly inherited some of my love of dance because she just loves to wiggle, twist and turn, pretty much all day long. She too, requested ballet classes recently, after our move back to Australia, and watching her twirl in a tulle skirt is one of the highlights of my week.

Since it became apparent that Cheese also enjoyed dance, I’ve been really looking forward to taking her to her first ballet performance. And that performance was Once Upon A Time, the Australian Ballet’s version of The Nutcracker for kids.

Cheese was so excited about the special outing, even more so when she saw the outfit I’d chosen – a very balletic dress and crossover I’d been saving for the occasion.

Once Upon A Time was performed at the Sydney Opera House. It’s a venue I’ve taken Cheese to a few times previously, but this performance was held in the main Joan Sutherland auditorium – the huge performance hall where all of the adult shows are held. It made the whole experience very grown up and exciting for Cheese – even more so when she saw the live orchestra under the stage tuning their instruments. She clapped her hands together, with a huge smile on her face, exclaiming “I’m so excited!”.

The show itself was a magical experience for Cheese. It’s a special story ballet created to be an introduction to ballet for children. Over 60 minutes, the show featured fully staged excerpts from The Nutcracker, with narration by one of the central characters to help younger kids understand what was happening on stage.

I wasn’t sure how Cheese would go with the large sections of classical dance, but she surprised me. She adored the story and was concerned about what was happening to the lead character, Clara. She thought the costumes were beautiful (the flowers were her favourites after Clara), and was so inspired by the dancing that she thought she would break out a few of her own special moves after the show.

The ballet was a wonderful experience for both me and Cheese that I will never forget. I hope that it’s the first of many wonderful ballets we will see together.

Belrose Hotel Revamp: Kid-Friendly Pubs, Sydney

December 9, 2014 / Belrose, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

The Belrose Hotel in Sydney’s Northern Suburbs is famous for being a great, kid-friendly place to eat. The restaurant has just had a massive renovation, and we were invited to check out the new and improved Belrose Hotel at their media launch.

If you’ve already dined at the Belrose, you’ll already know about the fantastic (contained) play areas for kids – the largest indoor ‘soft-play’ playground of any of hotel in Australia, with separate infant/toddler and kids’ play areas. Parents can dine right next to the play areas and watch what their kids are getting up to through the clear walls while they eat in relative peace.

What has changed is the dining space, getting a nice face lift to lighten and brighten it up, as well as an overhaul to the menu. The food focus is now on healthier options, with dishes made from fresh, quality produce.

The Belrose also now offers full table service and the option to book your table in advance.

We sampled several dishes when we dined at the Belrose – and, for the first time in possible ever, Cheese had a menu that I also wanted to order food off. The kids’ “Little Foodies” menu has lots of delicious and nutritious options so the whole family can eat well.

Our dining choices were: the Vegetarian Gnocchi ($17 home-made corn, pea and kumara gnocchi served with a creamy mushroom and roast red pepper sauce, topped with a mini herb salad and basil oil), Chunky Chips ($6 with sea salt) Manuka Honey Infused Roast Pumpkin Salad ($15 with roast beetroot, chickpea, snow peas, pepitas, pine nuts, almonds with a cashew yoghurt) Kingfish Fillet ($28, brushed with citrus, parsley, sea salt and olive oil ), and Cheese’s dish, the Sweet Potato, Corn and Pea Gnocchi ($10, tossed in a creamy tomato sauce).

The dishes were all generously portioned, and arrived hot and freshly cooked. Cheese’s pasta dish arrived first, and then ours a bit later. The gnocchi dishes were absolutely delicious, and the picky Cheese even ate a fair amount of the gnocchi. The salad was massive and packed with good, fresh ingredients. The mains took a little while longer that I would have liked to arrive – hopefully just a teething problem, as the food was really delicious and we will absolutely be back to dine at the Belrose again.

One more family-friendly feature to mention is the baby change room and family room, so breastfeeding mums who want some privacy can duck in and relax in a comfy chair while nursing their babies. Super considerate.

The Belrose Hotel is a fantastic venue for families wanting to dine at a restaurant that caters to every member of their group. Highly recommended, check it out!

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

Belrose Hotel
5 Hews Parade,
Belrose NSW 2085
Phone: (02) 9451 8585
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30am-12am, Sun 9:30am-10pm
Get Directions

Beat The Heat With Dyson Cool

December 9, 2014 / Product Reviews, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

With November days reaching 40dC and summer off to a super warm start, there’s never been a better time to be test driving a new fan. The fab folks at Dyson have released a fan that is perfect for families, which is perfect as we badly needed a new (and safe!) fan for Cheese’s bedroom.

The problem with small children like mine is that they have a tendency to test all boundaries – especially those that might maim them, such as sticking their fingers into a moving fan. For this reason alone, I was thrilled for the opportunity to try a bladeless Dyson Cool fan.

The new Dyson Cool is not only safe for crazy kids like mine, it also has a lot of other benefits, such as:

It’s quiet
Up to 75% quieter than previous models.

It’s powerful:
You’ll feel a strong blast of cool air from several feet away.

It’s easy to use
It’s so easy that Cheese can operate it by herself already. Seriously.

It has a remote control
The Dyson Cool comes with a simple remote control that lets you select one of ten airflow settings, set the sleep timer (up to nine hours), and activate the oscillation, all without lifting your butt off the couch. The remote is also magnetized to store neatly on the machine.

It’s super light weight
I can pick it up with one hand and the child in the other if I need to move both to another room.

It’s safe
Like I said before. No blades, so no cut off fingers.

It’s easy to clean
Super simple, as there are no hard to reach bits like on traditional fans.

It tilts
A simple push at the base tilts the fan backwards or forwards to direct airflow where you need it.

It’s tough
It’s pretty much toddler-proof, thanks to the destructive and endurance tests carried out at the Dyson labs. Every component is subjected to hundreds of tests to find any faults or weakness.

Technical info you need to know:

The Dyson Cool uses Air Multiplier™ technology where air is drawn in by an energy-efficient, brushless motor. Airflow is then accelerated through an annular aperture, passing over an air foil-shaped ramp, which draws in and channels its direction. This creates and projects powerful, smooth, high velocity airflow.

Materials: Dyson Cool™ fans are made from Acrylontride butadiene styrene – ABS.

Weight: (approx.)

AM06: 3.3kg
AM07: 4.6kg
AM08: 6.8kg

Guarantee: Two year parts and labour guarantee.

RRP:

AM06 Desk Fan: $449
Comes in black/nickel, iron/blue & white/silver

AM07 Tower Fan: $649
Comes in white/silver & black/nickel

AM08 Pedestal Fan: $649
Comes in white/silver

Get more info at http://www.dyson.com.au/fans.

Dyson provided me with a sample for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

10 Unrealistic Expectations I Had About Being A Parent

December 8, 2014 / Family, Kids / 16 Comments

Before my baby was born I had spent minimal time around other people’s kids. I tended to see their sweet, sleeping babies at picnics, and happily held their infants while they were smiling or snoozing, then handed them back if they started fussing.

It’s no surprise then that when I had my own baby I was in for a rude awakening of what life as a parent was really like. Here are a few of the unrealistic expectations I had about parenting—and the truth about life as it actually ended up.

1. Baby would sleep through the night after a few weeks

I actually thought that after a few initial weeks—maybe up to three months max—my baby would just go to sleep on her own and sleep through the night. Baby has now turned three and is still waking up during the night several times a week. Ouch.

2. Sleep training would magically work forever

I attempted to sleep train my infant at 10 months when my husband and I were at breaking point. While we were initially successful, a few months later she was back to her old evening habits. It turns out that infants, toddlers and preschoolers wake up for a variety of reasons, even if you sleep train them. Our nights are now awoken by bad dreams, wanting milk and just a few “no reasons” for good measure.

3. I’d fit back in my old jeans a few weeks later

I’m pretty sure I remember a friend saying they walked out of the hospital in their pre-pregnancy jeans. I’ve clearly not spoken to them since as my own experience was very different. Despite eating carefully and exercising continually during pregnancy, I was still carrying a lot of extra weight when I left the hospital, and continued to carry this extra weight for the entire following year.

4. Breastfeeding would melt away the pounds

While breastfeeding did indeed burn extra calories, I was also consuming extra calories to keep up the milk supply. While some moms looked super skinny after only a few weeks post birth, I continued to look chubby even while I was breastfeeding around the clock. Those daily bagels with cream cheese did not help, no matter how tasty they were, and it was only a change to a healthier diet removed the extra baby weight.

5. I’d get back into my old exercise routine

I had big dreams that after the first six months or so, I would get back into the sports I loved to play pre-baby with a vengeance. I had neglected to realize how exhausted I’d be from being up all night with the baby, and from entire days spent strolling, rocking, swaying and soothing. Even now, with my baby as a pre schooler, I’m still so tired at the end of a day of chasing her around, begging her to go potty and teaching her playground etiquette/road safety rules/table manners that I am desperate to just sit on my ass on the couch and eat ice cream by my self. I am starting to get back into yoga again and we are exercising as a family with bike riding on weekends, so I’m hopeful that I will be fit again with a new routine.

6. Parenting would get easier

Even though hateful people would smugly say to me in the street, when I was frantically rocking my screaming infant, “Oh, it only gets harder!” (um, thank you?), I was still hopeful that once I passed the crazy newborn stage things would get easier. I have to say, that having such a difficult baby who suffered from reflux made our baby stage a lot harder than it should have been, so while things did get a bit easier once the reflux was outgrown, a whole heap of new challenges popped up to keep us on our toes. Tantrums. Defiance. Fussy eating. Toilet training.

7. I’d be fine going straight back to work

I honestly thought I would take maternity leave and then happily leave my baby in daycare and return to my old career path, with not a care in the world. Instead, I couldn’t bare the thought of leaving her in full-time care, so I’ve been working freelance where possible, and feeling guilty (there it is, the mom guilt!) for any time I spend away from her and she’s in daycare.

8. I’d know what to do with a baby

All the parents I knew pre-baby looked so confident, toting around their babies, bringing them to weddings in their car seats where they slept through the reception, that I was sure it would be a breeze. And yet, when we were leaving the hospital, it dawned on me that I had no idea what to do with this baby. How could these medical professionals let me take home such a fragile creature, without making sure I was going to be a capable parent? How would I know what to do when she cried? How hot should her bath be? Should I use special wipes with no chemicals in them?

9. Potty training would take five days

There’s been so much hoopla about the five-day (and even three-day!) potty training method that I actually thought it would only take me five days. Try six months on-and-off and still going. With poo phobia, not wanting to stop playing to go to the bathroom and a stubborn temperament, it’s taking a whole lot longer than I could have possibly anticipated.

10. Our bond would be instant

When I was handed my baby in the hospital, I was so traumatized by the birth that I felt emotionally numb. I expected a flooding of love and happiness, but instead felt nothing but pain and exhaustion. What I didn’t know was that not all bonds between Mum and baby are formed instantly, and that it’s normal if they start slow and get stronger over time. While in the beginning I worried that I didn’t feel enough affection for my baby, over time I realised that my heart had been slowly and constantly filling with little bits of love, until one day I discovered that it was so completely full with love for my child that it felt like it was about to explode.

What unrealistic expectations did you have about what parenthood would be like?

This article first appeared on Mommynearest.com

Three Williams: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Redfern

November 28, 2014 / Redfern, Sydney, Sydney Food / 4 Comments

Around the food bloggers sphere, there have been rumblings for a while about the new Redfern favourite cafe, Three Williams. We biked over to give it a shot one day and, as we were dismounting and about to chain up our bikes, the hostess comes out and asks us if we’re planning to dine with them today. When we reply that yes, we are, she asks if we’d like to bring our bikes inside so we don’t have to bother with chaining them up. Ummm, yes, please?!

The same lovely hostess shows us to a table that is right by the giant chalkboard and carpeted area very thoughtfully created with parents and little kids in mind. With extremely friendly and helpful staff and plenty of room for strollers (plus a giant ramp to get them down into the dining area), it’s no surprise that this cafe is not just a favourite with foodies, it’s also a hit with local families.

Since leaving the US I’ve been desperate for a good iced tea. Hooray for Three Williams who served up a delicious black iced tea naturally infused with apply and orange ($5).

Our lunch orders came quickly: Eggs on Toast, $11, with smashed avocado, $4, feta, $3, and roast tomato, $3, Corn Fritters, $18, with a poached egg, $3, Chips, $7, Kids’ Apple Juice, $3.50.

I didn’t realise that the avocado would come with raw onion in it, and when I was removing it from my dish, our waitperson noticed, asked immediately if anything was wrong, and then offered to have a fresh one made for me. I declined since the amount of food I ordered was insane, and my husband wanted the avocado with onion, and instead was quickly brought fresh toast.

The food was all delicious. Perfect eggs, creamy feta, crispy chips. I could absolutely see why my Facebook page is full of people raving about their love of Three Williams.

What really made Three Williams stand out for me was the amazing service. I’ve rarely had such an above and beyond experience at a cafe, as well as feeling so welcome with my high energy toddler. I can’t recommend this cafe highly enough. We will be back regularly to our nee neighbourhood favourite.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Not exactly, but a lot of the food is suitable for kids.

Three Williams
613a Elizabeth St,
Redfern NSW 2016
Ph: (02) 9698 1111
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily, 7am-4pm
Get Directions