Sydney Life

Showbag Reveal at the Sydney Royal Easter Show

March 1, 2015 / Cheese, Sydney, Sydney Life / 24 Comments

Growing up in Sydney, one of my favourite events of the year has always been the Sydney Royal Easter Show. As a kid, teenager and adult, I’ve always found the show to be such a fun day out that I’ve been crazy excited to take Cheese this year for the very first time.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the official showbag reveal, a wonderful annual event that the show puts on for kids from Royal Far West and Westmead Children’s Hospitals. As the showbags for each year’s show are revealed, these kids are able to test out the showbags (AKA have the best day ever with a gazilion free toys). With a record 349 showbags available this year, there was a showbag for every interest that the kids might have, and each kid had a super hard decision choosing their favourites.

The Easter Show crew went all out for the event, with a fantastic face painter (what do you think of Cheese’s rainbow tiger?) and expert balloon artist to entertain the kids before the main event, and life-sized beloved characters such as My Little Ponies, Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to really wow the kids.

The showbags were all lain out for the kids to walk around and check out. It was an overwhelming display and experience for the kids (and for the adults!).

If you’re worried that a trip to the showbag pavilion will set you back a lot of cash, you’ll be happy to hear that 136 of the bags are $10 or under, including the Blinky Bill and Hillier’s Flip the Treefrog showbags for just $1 each. Old favourites like Bertie Beetle are there too, as are many newcomers, such as Frozen, which is tipped to be a hot showbag this year.

Cheese’s favourites were the Dorothy The Dinosaur, Sofia The First and Disney Princesses bags. The Sofia and Princesses bags contained some great dress up items, and the Dorothy one has a really cute umbrella that’s sure to get a lot of use.

Personally I would have loved the Darrel Lea showbags – traditional ones I’ve been buying to share with my parents since I was a kid. I also thought the Wiggles showbag looked adorable and good value, with a full set of musical instruments.

After the showbags were well and truly tested, we all came back downstairs to have some food and, for the kids, to play with the amazing characters who followed.

The showbag viewing was amazing, and the whole experience was upped to the next level with the fantastic entertainment. The kids had so much fun posing for photos with the characters and going back for 2nd balloons from the amazing balloon guy who seemed to thrive on being asked to make the impossible come true. He made ELSA out of balloons for Cheese. Seriously expert level balloonmanship.

When I asked Cheese what her favourite part of the morning was, she said it was meeting the My Little Ponies. This whole fantastic event really epitomised the Easter Show for me. Surprising, exciting and magical.

Cheese and I were both blown away with the event, and felt so honoured to have been invited to attend.

Head to the Sydney Royal Easter Show for your own magical day out. The Easter Show runs from Thursday 26 March to Wednesday 8 April, 2015, at Sydney Olympic Park. Book your family tickets before midnight March 16 for a discounted rate of $99.50 (includes return public transport).

Linking up with Bron.

The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors Sydney

February 22, 2015 / Cheese, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

We just made it down to Dawes Point in time to see The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors (last day is Feb 22). These amazing, life-sized lanterns are based on the discovery of the 8,000 terracotta warriors and horses that were unearthed in China’s Shaanxi Province in 1974.

Chinese artist Xia Nan created these lanterns for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 out of fabric and wire. The 90 2.1 metre high warriors and two horses glow in brilliant bursts of colour after dark, making this a remarkable installation both during the day and night.

Our family visited during the day so Cheese could see the warriors. We were absolutely in awe of this exhibition.

Sydney Icons In Photographs

February 19, 2015 / Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Being a Sydneysider born and raised, I don’t usually take photos of obvious things like the Sydney Opera House. I recently attended an Instagram meetup however and took my SLR out for a stroll, and was really happy with some of the images I captured. Sydney is so incredibly gorgeous and it’s very easy to take that beauty for granted when you’ve grown up here like I did. So here are a few images of the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens from my evening stroll that will make you want to visit Sydney if you live afar.

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.

Summer Playground At The Sydney Opera House

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Christmas Gift Guide For Preschool Girls

November 10, 2014 / Family, Kids, Shopping / 10 Comments

How is it possible that Christmas is upon us already? I’m actually really excited for Christmas this year as Missy E is finally the right age to “get” it, so if her excitement over Halloween was anything to go by, she is going to be out of her mind with anticipation for the big event of the year.

It’s only been lately that Missy E has started to ask for things that she wants, too, so I’m excited to be able to get her a few things that her tiny, enthusiastic heart desires. If you have a princess and pink loving little girl at home or in the family to buy for, here are a few things little Miss E would very much like for Christmas this year.

LeapFrog Fridge Phonics
These magnetic letters attached to the fridge and play the sounds of the letters when you put the letters in the bus. It also plays songs like Wheels On The Bus and ABCs. Great for teaching early vocabulary. (RRP $29.95 AUD)

Smiggle Goodies
Every kid who is headed to daycare or school needs an adorable backpack. The Konnichiwa backpack (RRP $44.95) from Smiggle one is great for day trips as well – it’s a fantastic size to throw in everything little kids need, with lots of compartments for putting things like wipes, extra clothes and toys in so they won’t get lost. Bonus: the adorable kitty design is fun and girly without being too “baby” for E. I also love the Smiggle media pouch (RRP $14.95), keyring mirror (RRP $7.95) and double-decker lunchbox (RRP $24.95).

Cabbage Patch Kids Twinkle Toes
I loved my CPKs when I was little so it’s really cool to see Miss E enjoying them too. This particular model is so cute, with replica Skechers shoes that light up. The CPK range is great as they’re not too pricey but are fantastic quality. (RRP $89.99 AUD)

Anna and Elsa Singing Dolls
Missy E’s life is all about princesses, particularly Anna and Elsa. These singing dolls would blow her mind. (RRP $39.95 USD each)

Madeline Tea Set
E loves playing pretend tea parties of late, and this 24-piece set is just adorable. Each piece is illustrated with characters and scenes from the Madeline series. The set includes a tray, teapot, four cups, saucers, plates, spoons and napkins, plus a tablecloth, in a cute little carry box. We will be taking our tea party on the road with this one. (RRP $35 USD)

Kinetic Sand
Sand play without the mess. Kinetic Sand is 98% sand and 2% magic, where the ‘magic’ a bonding agent that causes the sand to stick only to itself in a soft clump. (RRP $29.95 AUD)

Disney Princess Magiclip
E is obsessed with the magiclip toys. She already has an Anna and Elsa magiclip and she plays with them obsessively. When she saw this princess set with Rapunzel, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Tiana, she flipped out. The dresses clip on and off and can be switched between the dolls. Literally hours of entertainment here. (RRP $39.95 USD)

Rapunzel Tower Play Set – Tangled
Like most three-year-olds, Missy E is really into doll sets and doll houses. She’s been begging for this one for a while now and even I have to admit it’s pretty cute and looks like it wouldn’t take up too much space. (RRP $49.95)

Farm Duplo
A huge set of lego with plenty of bricks for building (unlike a lot of small sets which are limited in terms of the general bricks included). Included are cute characters like cows and farmers. ($89.95 AUD)

Olaf Pillow Pet
This is a double-whammy toy favourite – it’s Olaf, so, duh, and it’s a pillow that folds into a toy. An instant hit with the preschool set. (RRP $34.99)

What do your kid want for Christmas this year?