Month: July 2016

Kidding Around Essentials … Food Babies Love- Fresh Pots

| Kidding Around Australia

We all want to do what’s best for our children. We want them to be happy and healthy – but, let’s face it sometimes life is so busy that a nutritious, home-cooked meal isn’t going to happen!

So what are we to do? What do we feed our kids if we are on the road and don’t have access to a fully equiped kitchen? Many of the ready-made supermarket options are heat blasted so that they have a shelf life of 18 months+, which is a little scary.

Best-selling author, entrepreneur, Melbourne-based baby food expert and mother of 3, Emily Dupuche, says “There are whole fridges dedicated to fresh pet food in supermarkets, but you can’t find any fresh baby food. It is unacceptable. Busy parents today deserve access to convenient, fresh, nutritious meals for their children with less salt, sugar and preservatives. We don’t buy meat off the shelf to eat, so we shouldn’t have to serve our babies just that.”

Dupuche has been fostering healthy eating habits in children and inspiring parents for 5 years. Dupuche’s first book, Food Babies Love (published by Pan MacMillan) has sold over 10,000 copies, made popular for it’s easy and delicious real food ideas to suit parents looking for strategies and solutions to feed babies the good food they need to thrive.food babies love book.jpg

The popularity of the Food Babies Love guide and demand from parents looking for more food babies love, motivated Dupuche to take the favourite recipes from the guide and launch Food Babies Love – Fresh Pots – an Australian-first range of readily available FRESH baby and toddler meals.Food Babies Love- Fresh Pots.jpg

The Kidding Around Australia kids are past this baby stage now, however, we are lucky to have Kirrilee as a contributor. As a busy mum of two boys (aged 3.5 and 7.5 months), Kirrilee was more than happy to trial the Food Babies Love – Fresh Pots range!

Food Babies Love – Fresh Pots, is a range of convenient, nourishing baby and toddler food, offering time-poor parents peace of mind and the much needed opportunity to feed their babies fresh, wholesome and quick meals without compromising on nutrition, flavour and taste. It’s simple, real food that is kitchen fresh and exactly like home-made food.

“Mums want to know what ingredients they are feeding their children and how it has been prepared. With Fresh Pots the process and ingredients are transparent. We’ve taken the favourite recipes from the guide and prepared them fresh for parents. Being time poor doesn’t need to mean poor quality food for our children,” states Dupuche.

Dupuche has also chosen to package the meals in clear pots rather than pouches, specifically to stimulate all the senses of a growing baby including sight, smell and texture – key stimulants for developing palettes, interest and a healthy relationship with food. The 200g tamper-proof pots are microwavable and freezable and come in three distinct ages and stages. Early proteins for 6 plus months, textured meals for 7 plus months and toddler meals for 10 plus months.

Whilst, Kirrilee’s 3.5 year old Thomas was a bit too old for the range, her 7 month old Lennox absolutely loved it! There are 7 delicious varieties in the range. The range includes Lentil Dahl, Fish Pie, Curry and family favourites such as Spaghetti Bolognaise.Food Babies Love- Fresh Pots 4 square

Kirrilee Says

I was so happy to try the Food Babies Love – Fresh Pots range! As a busy mum, if I can feed my children nutritious meals that are easy to prepare then my life will be so much easier!

Whilst some of the flavours were preferred over others (pumpkin, apple and chicken was a fave) Lennox loved them! He ate until he was too full, then I finished it off! Forget the kids, this is yummy food! Actually, I was able to get 2-3 meals out of pot. I would simply remove a portion, heat it up (make sure you check the temperatures as it can get scolding) and leave the rest in the fridge.

The pots are $6.45 each and would be perfect for home or holidays. They save so much time and effort and taste amazing!

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GIVEAWAY

If you would like to try Food Babies Love – Fresh Pots then you will be so happy to know that we are giving one lucky Melbourne based reader a chance to win a week’s worth of fresh pots (7 fresh pots home delivered!).

To win: Email – Georgina@kiddingaroundaustralia.com and tell us “Why you want to try Fresh Pots by Food Babies Love”. Competition closes: 31 July 2016 at 5pm AEST. Good Luck!

MORE INFORMATION

Food Babies Love – Fresh Pots can be found in the refrigerated section of select supermarkets and grocers along the Eastern Seaboard with the option of weekly home delivery for Melbournians. They retail for $6.45 and the book is also available to purchase for $25.

www.foodbabieslove.com.au I Facebook: foodbabieslove | Instagram: @foodbabieslove I #foodbabieslove #freshpots

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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 (UNLESS CREDITED OTHERWISE). ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA (OR ORIGINAL SOURCE AS CREDITED).

Kidding Around Essentials … Felt Ball Rug Australia

| Kidding Around Australia

logoI have been coveting a felt ball rug ever since our Kidding Around Australia contributor, Kirrilee, bought one last year for her son’s nursery.

Kirrilee said “I love my 140cm custom felt ball rug! I ordered on July 25th, 2015 and it arrived to my home in Australia on August 11th. It’s fantastic quality and so comfortable to sit on. My son loves it too!”

Kirrilee purchased her rug through Felt Ball Rug Australia so when an opportunity for us to review one of their rugs came up you can imagine how excited I was!Felt Ball Rug 2

Felt Ball Rug Australia is run by Deep who is the son of Nepalese factory owner Jagadishwar Adhikari. Deep and his family are committed to fair trade, women’s rights and guarantee that all of their felt ball products are handmade in Nepal, are free from chemicals, other toxins and are eco – friendly. They are proud members of Good Weave* who certify that the rugs are made without child labour.

The ordering process was simple. We went to the Felt Ball Rug Australia website https://feltballrug.com.au/ and found many options to choose from – round, rectangle, pre-designed colour schemes or custom designs where you get to choose what colours you want for your rug.Felt Ball Rug Australia Sheep Keyring.jpg

We went with the round 140 cm (55″) multi-colour felt ball rug, entered our address and within 2 weeks it was delivered from Nepal (usually non-custom rugs are shipped from Sydney but they were out of stock – and 2 weeks from ordering to arriving internationally by courier is amazing! There was even a little surprise hiding in our 100% New Zealand wool rug!). The rugs range in price from $197 – $927 depending on the size you choose.felt ball rug 3

The product itself is beautiful. We have it in our front room and everyone who comes to visit comments on it. The kids enjoy curling up on it to read or play a game, it’s super soft under foot and easy to clean.

Felt Ball Rug Australia also have other products such as trivets, coasters, cat caves, ottomans, Christmas decorations, garlands and bulk felt balls.

We are happy to say that we have partnered up with Felt Ball Rug Australia to give away a family multi-colour round pack.1multicolour-round-trivet-coaster-pack

Each pack consists of:

  • 1 x Felt Ball Trivet made from 2cm felt balls and is 20cm wide.
  • 5 x Felt Ball Coasters made from 1cm felt balls and is 10 cm wide.

This stunning designer multicolored felt ball trivet and coaster pack is hand made in Nepal by women under the Fair Trade Act and is worth $29.99.

To enter, simply comment on this blog post why you would like to win! Entries close on 31/7/16 at 5pm and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Good Luck!

MORE INFORMATION

Check out the Felt Ball Rug Australia WEBSITE, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM pages – they run competitions all the time so make sure you like or follow them! I sincerely hope you win a rug – they are fantastic!

*GoodWeave International, formerly known as Rugmark, is a network of non-profit organisations dedicated to ending illegal child labour in the rug making industry. Founded in 1994 by children’s rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, it provides a certification program that allows companies that pass inspection (and random checks) to attach a logo certifying that their product is made without child labour.

 

 

 

 

 

Kidding Around at … Scooby-Doo Live! Level Up!

| Kidding Around Australia

On Saturday 9 July 2016 we saw the world premiere Scooby-Doo Live! Level Up! at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne. Scooby-Doo has been a favourite of ours since childhood, and recently Alegría and Isaac have jumped on the bandwagon!

Jeepers!

scooby doo level up 1

We weren’t exactly sure about what to expect from the show, and eagerly awaited the show to start as we took our seats and put on our cardboard “Boggle Goggles” (that looked like 3D glasses without the lenses). The show featured all of the ‘Mystery Inc.’ gang, who in 2016, are tech savvy with mobile phones and ghost finding apps whilst still being drawn to 80’s arcade games such as Moustashio Bros, Snack Man and Chase Invaders… funny those names are familiar!scooby doo level up 3.jpg

At the beginning of the show, the gang take on summer jobs with Shaggy and Scooby-Doo working at Crystal Cove – The Most Hauntedest Place on Earth and Fred, Velma and Daphne working next door at the high tech store (the name escapes me) that sells “boggle goggles”.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Scooby-Doo if there wasn’t a mystery to solve, so when ghosts begin to appear, “boggle goggles” malfunction, and the crew become trapped inside the arcade games, they must ‘Level Up!’ to escape. scooby doo level up 2.jpg

Georgina Says

The show is fast paced with catchy musical numbers and there is a lot of audience interaction. The storyline is at times hard to follow and whilst Alegría and Isaac enjoyed it, I don’t think they actually know what it was about. I would suggest that this show is more suited to 8+ if you want them to appreciate the storyline.

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The Melbourne season of Scooby-Doo Live! Level Up has now finished, and the show is headed to Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth so check it out!

MORE INFORMATION

The Big Freeze Festival at Cranbourne Racecourse!

| Kidding Around Australia

 

If you have been following us on social media (and seriously, you should!) then you will have heard us talking about The Big Freeze Festival.The Big Freeze Festival 9

The Big Freeze Festival is being held from 2-10 July 2016 at the Cranbourne Racecourse in Melbourne and we were lucky enough to be invited to the launch! We are happy to report that there is so much to do, that until the end of the week, your family can enjoy hours of fun at the festival.

As soon as we arrived, we walked through a snow forest, caught bubble snow on our hands, had a jump in the giant snow globe and made a new friend who was hiding in amongst the fir trees!The Big Freeze Festival 2

We spent time playing with picture stones around the campfire and then enjoyed the Castle and Cubby village where children (and parents) can let their imagination run wild in the Milk Bar, Farmer’s Market, Jail, Café, Post Office and Fire Station. The Big Freeze Festival 3.jpg

You can even win the Farmer’s Market cubby by entering HERE:

After sipping on some hot Ribena (YUM!) and devouring a plate of Dutch pancakes, the kids fine-tuned their aim throwing rice bags into buckets before trading their coupon in for a bucket of snow. Isaac wasn’t overly fussed about this as his hands got cold (and he refused to wear the gloves) but Alegría has a strong arm and threw the snowballs like no-one’s business! The guy helping was great fun and great with the kids as well!The Big Freeze Festival 1

Of course, the main attraction was the snow! Snow pit sessions begin every half hour and last for 25 minutes. The sessions are not over crowded so there is plenty of room for fun!The Big Freeze Festival 5

The snow is made onsite, it was amazing to see ice cubes being poured into the machine and snow coming out of the big tubes. Much to the delight of everyone, the snow machine operators shoot the newly made snow into the air – creating a winter wonderland!The Big Freeze Festival 6

Georgina Says – The whole event is undercover so you don’t have to worry about rain or wind!

If that wasn’t enough,  make sure you take a few minutes to learn CPR with St John Ambulance, paint a pet rock or decorate a nesting box with Phillip Island Nature Parks, go up and down the inflatable slide or grab a bite to eat before heading into the building adjacent to the main arena. The Big Freeze Festival 4.jpg

There is so much to keep the kids entertained in this area, that you might have a hard time getting them to leave! There is also a family area with couches and baby toys if you need to feed or let little ones crawl around for a while!

Isaac’s favourite thing to do was to play in the Kick Brick Construction Area. The bricks are perfect for building up towers and knocking them down, piling up the wheelbarrow or making a creation. The attendant (and I suspect business owner) was so fun and great with the kids. All we could hear was Isaac’s belly laugh!The Big Freeze Festival 7

Next door to Kick Brick is quite a few Lego stations for older kids and the Little Shredders area allows kids to perfect their snowboarding skills and posture! Snowboarding is in the kids blood so they had a great time here and have perfect balance!

Of course, there was an appearance by Elsa and Anna from Frozen as well as a variety of acts on the Light FM stage. The fun didn’t stop there, there was also the Clever Patch craft station where children could make rainbows and glittery masks, Super Hero training with the YMCA and a variety of other workshops that ran throughout the day. The Big Freeze Festival 8

The Big Freeze festival is a fun snow experience, without all the fuss of planning a trip to the actual snow. If you have waterproof pants then I would definitely bring them but it’s not too cold so full snow attire isn’t necessary.

Make sure you bring a change of clothes and socks as the kids WILL get wet!

Finally, bring a toy, book or item of clothing that you no longer use and donate it to Mums Supporting Families in Need.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit The Big Freeze’s website at www.thebigfreezefestival.com.au

Tickets cost $28 for children aged 2-12 years* or $16.50 for adults, children aged 13+ and toddlers aged 1-2 years who will be entering the snow play zone.

Guess what? *Every children’s (2-12 years) ticket includes a four park pass to Phillip Island Nature Parks (Penguin Parade, Antarctic Journey, Koala Conservation Centre and Churchill Island Heritage Farm) valid until 25 December 2016.

Make sure you follow The Big Freeze on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.