We proudly launched our Random Acts of Kid-ness exactly a year ago with a Silvers Circus giveaway and are happy to announce that Silvers Circus is our May, 2016 anniversary sponsor!
Silvers Circus is a household name in Australia and after nearly three decades on the road maintains all the sparkle, glamour and death defying acts expected of Australia’s premier circus.
KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA’S RANDOM ACTS OF KID-NESS
This month, Silvers Circus has generously given us a family pass to their show in Ballarat as we were told about a family that would love to go!
Mathew, Sarah and Molly
In March 2016, Mathew was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastomas – which is an aggressive form of brain cancer. Mathew has undergone 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and is currently undertaking 6 months of chemotherapy.
Mathew, and the beautiful Sarah, are proud parents of a gorgeous little girl, Molly. Mathew is in his early 20’s and according to his uncle Dallas, Mathew is a “wonderful young man and father”.
On Friday the 20th of May, the Ballan, Greendale and Blackwood communities held a successful fundraiser for this “man with a heart of gold” at the Greendale Hotel to help pay for Mathew’s treatment and ongoing costs.
The family have also set up a gofundme page where over $20,000 has been raised and any amount is gratefully received.
We wish Mathew and his family all the very best.
NOMINATE FOR OUR NEXT RANDOM ACTS OF KID-NESS NOW
If you would like to nominate yourself, or someone you know, for a Random Acts of Kid-ness please fill out the form located HERE.
We take your privacy seriously and will only disclose information you approve.
Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festivalopens in Australia in June and for the first time ever will feature the magical winter wonderland of Frozen. The 2016 ice spectacular will also present the enchanting adventures of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Tangled and Beauty and the Beast, presented by popular hosts Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy!
Of course, we have tickets to give away to one lucky Kidding Around Australia reader!
Our Grand Prize consists of 4 tickets to Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival in Melbourne on July 1, 2016 with a special meet and greet experience and merchandise bag! We also have another merchandise bag to give away to a runner up!
The Academy Award® winning animated film Frozen will come to life on ice and is packed full of action, adventure, magic and unforgettable characters. Audiences are transported to Arendelle to join royal sisters Elsa and Anna, the hilarious snowman Olaf, rugged mountain-man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven as they discover that true love conquers all.
Audiences will delight as Ariel twirls 35 feet above the ice in a stunning Spanish web act and be swept away as Rapunzel and Flynn are greeted with a dazzling display of the floating lanterns. Beauty and the Beast will include an enchanted Be Our Guest scene, with theatrical elements that will astound the audience.
“We are taking a fresh new spin on how we’re presenting the Disney stories,” says Producer Juliette Feld. “We are weaving together the four worlds of royal sisters Anna and Elsa, Ariel, Belle and Rapunzel as they each embark on their own epic journey.”
“In our more than 30 years of producing Disney On Ice shows, Feld Entertainment has been waiting for a film like Frozen,” says producer Nicole Feld. “The most exciting part of bringing characters like Anna and Elsa to the ice for the first time is knowing that they have a powerful and inspiring message that resonates with audiences as the sisters discover the true meaning of love.”
This year’s show pushes the cast of world-class skaters to the limit with daring choreography, theatrical routines above the ice, stunning costumes and impressive set designs that transform endlessly throughout the production. With so much talent and storytelling jam-packed into one show, Disney On Ice truly brings the magic and is a must see for girls, boys and the whole family.
Disney On Ice presents Magical Ice Festival is a jam-packed show overflowing with magic and will be shortly touring in a city near you! The National Tour starts on 2 June through to 17 July.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER KATHRYN STOKES AND OUR RUNNER UP ROSE NICHOLAS!
To enter our MAGICAL competition, simply comment on this post and tell us who is your favourite Disney character and why!
(By commenting on this post you agree to all the terms and conditions. They can be found by clicking HERE. You will need to give us a valid email address so that we can contact you – don’t worry it will not be published! Comments are moderated so may not show up immediately.)
Competition closes 5pm AEST Sunday 5 June 2015. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter!
MORE INFORMATION
2016 National Tour Dates
Perth Arena 2 – 6 June (Thurs – Mon) Ticketek
Adelaide Entertainment Centre 10 – 13 June (Fri – Mon) Ticketek
Wollongong- WIN Entertainment Centre 16 – 19 June (Thurs – Sun) Ticketmaster
*Brisbane Entertainment Centre 23 – 27 June (Thurs – Mon) Ticketek
*Melbourne- Rod Laver Arena 1 – 5 July (Fri – Tues) Ticketek
*Newcastle Entertainment Centre 8 – 10 July (Fri – Sun) Ticketek
Last Friday, I was invited to a pre-Mother’s Day function at Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley with Holden Australia and a select group of Melbourne Bloggers.
We met at Holden HQ in Port Melbourne to pick up our vehicles and learn more about Holden’s important safety features, such as the new Isofix car seat system. The cars available for test-drive were the Cascada, Captiva, Trax, and Insignia and as we are in the market for a 7-seater I chose to take the Captiva for a spin.
We were all welcome to bring our children along, but as Alegría was at school, I opted for a peaceful drive and stress free lunch so Isaac stayed with our friend Payno. Thank you, Payno!
I drove out to the Yarra Valley with Christie from Kids Business (who worked with Holden to organise this fantastic day). The Captiva is equipped with the MyLink entertainment system with Apple CarPlay so Christie plugged in her IPhone (I’m an android user) and after figuring out the handbrake (don’t judge … it’s so easy, I found it tricky! For the record, it is a simple push/pull button!) we were off.
The car itself was easy to drive and has features such as a touch screen, reverse camera, USB connectivity and blind spot alert. My favourite feature was the keyless entry and ignition. You simply leave your keys in your handbag, touch the button on the door handle and turn the knob next to the steering wheel and you’re away. Perfect for when you have your hands full!
The weather was amazing – on a day surrounded by rainy days, we were blessed with sunshine.
Once we arrived, we settled into a barrel room and had a pickling class with celebrity chef Matt Stone. Matt taught us how to make homemade vegan kimchi. Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made of fermented vegetables with a variety of seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi, however, ours was made with fermented chilli paste, wombok cabbage, carrot, ginger, garlic, spring onion and pink lake salt (which is harvested by Mount Zero Olives and traditional land owners, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council, from a crater-like pink salt lake near the Grampians in Victoria). After getting our hands messy making the kimchi we all filled a jar so we could take home some of this goodness – I can’t wait to try it.
I’m sorry I can’t post the recipe here for you to enjoy, however, Matt has a cookbook coming out later in the year which will feature the recipe. Put it on your Christmas list!
After the masterclass, we went into the main building to a private dining room set up with beautiful flowers, a view of the Holden range and vineyards that went on forever. Those children who did attend were spoilt with a special guest appearance from Cinderella who made balloon animals and flowers, painted faces and played games. I did feel a little guilty for not taking Alegría and Isaac. Just a little.
The food, as you would expect, was yummy. I could eat the entrée antipasto platter everyday and be a happy, happy lady! As we bid everyone goodbye, we were give a beautiful bunch of flowers and gift bag with a bottle of Oakridge chardonnay. What a special day it was.
On the drive back, I joined Olivia from House of White and Tara from Branche and No Cake for Breakfast. They are both such nice people, but I made the error of sitting in the back and got terribly carsick. The lovely Tara swapped with me but the damage was done – it was all I could do to not spew in front of my new friends!!! Thankfully, I held it together but it was a long trip home!! Sorry that I wasn’t my chatty self ladies!
Kidding Around Australia will be working with Holden again in the future – we will be taking one of their vehicles on a road trip and we can’t wait to share that with you!
Thank you Holden for inviting me – I had a fantastic day!
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.
You all know that we love Duke and that he is a much loved member of our family! We also know that you think that your pooch is “paw-fect” as well! So, we have partnered with revolutionary paralysis tick and flea treatment brand, Bravecto®, and Dr Katrina Warren, to search for Australia’s smart dogs and give you a chance to win the perfect prize pack for your dog!
Bravecto® is the first and only oral chew to deliver extended protection for three months against fleas and four months against paralysis ticks – all in a single chew. For a busy family who has so many things to think about – 4 doses per year versus 12 or more doses per year equals a no-brainer. If you want to read more about Bravecto® or see Duke demonstrating how easy it is to administer, click HERE!
When we heard the competition was for Australia’s smart dogs, we said “We love Duke, but bless his heart, he is not the smartest dog in the pack!” Luckily, this is not what this competition is about! They are not just looking for dogs who can do tricks or that are cute – they are looking for truly special dogs! Dogs that change your world.
So, tell us all about your top dog. What does it mean to have them as part of your family? How do they spread joy? Why do you love them?
To enter, put your best paw forward and upload a photo or video on our Facebook post or tag @kiddingaroundaustralia and #kiddingaroundaustralia on Instagram and we will give away a years supply of Bravecto® (four packs valued at $240) to our FIVE favourite doggies!
Terms & Conditions 1. Entry is open to Australian residents only who are aged 18 years and over and only one entry per household is permitted.
2. Entries open on 5/5/2016 and close at 11:59pm AEST on 15/5/2016.
3. This competition is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winners.
4. To enter the competition, entrants must fill in all fields of the form above.
5. Five winners will be selected and receive a years supply of Bravecto (4 packs) valued at up to $250 (depending on the weight of the dog).
6. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
7. The winner will be drawn within 48hrs of the closing date and the winning entry will be announced on this website. The prize will be posted to the address supplied at the time of entry. The promoter will not be held responsible if the address supplied is incorrect.
We have been loving the Smash collection for a while now – they make the perfect lunch boxes and drink bottles. In fact, there is not a day that goes by that we don’t use one of their products!
If you follow us on Instagram you will have seen some of these products in use, so you can imagine my joy when a parcel arrived for me for Mother’s Day!
Now, I don’t want to alarm you … but Mother’s Day is just around the corner (Sunday, May 8th!) so if you are stuck for a gift that is cute and functional then the Love Mum Collection might be just what you need.
The collection is available exclusively at selected Coles supermarkets from April 25th, 2016 – so nip down to your local and pick up a last minute present for that special lady in your life (or as a treat for yourself!).
Items in the range include:
COSMETIC BAGS
The Smash Cosmetic Bag is an essential for any busy Mum on the go! It is the perfect size to fit into your handbag and has just enough space for the products you require throughout the day (it would be too small to travel with, but perfect for day to day use!) and is easily accessible with a wide opening.
Price $10
GYM BAG
The Smash ‘Love Mum’ Gym Bag is perfect for active Mums. I love the inspirational gold print on the front! The bag features a zippered side pocket (to keep your keys and phone secure), twin compartments with a water resistant internal divider (helps separate and organise your clean and dirty gear) and a drawstring closure for easy access which can also be used as backpack straps.
Price $15
SHOPPING BAG AND UMBRELLA GIFT SET
This is in high rotation at our house! The shopping bag is perfect for the environmentally conscious Mum that shops in the rain, hail or shine!
The Gift Set features an Umbrella (which even though it blew inside out on the St Kilda pier still works a treat!) and a reusable shopping bag which folds up into a small pouch, it even has a handy detachable clip so that you can hook it onto your handbag or pram so it is never forgotten.
Price $12
LADIES LUNCH BAGS
As I said, we have been using Smash lunch bags for a while – Tim takes his to work every day and now there is a pretty pink one for me! The Smash Love Mum Lunch Bags are available in two shapes, the Wayra and the Nyla, and are light weight but highly durable, easily accessible and boast original Australian created designs.
Best of all both Lunch Bags feature Smash’s new Blue IQ Smart Lining, a new innovation in bag lining it is engineered to the highest International Food Standards, exclusive to Smash, and is perfect to keep food colder and fresher for longer!
Price – $12-$15
Overall, these are great value gifts for the mum in your life!
Smash’s Love Mum Collection is available exclusively at Coles from April 25th, 2016.
We have been loving the 
Kidding Around Australia 