Brisbane Winter Festival

Queensland weather is the best right? But wouldn’t it be nice to experience a little bit of winter wonderland here in sunny Queensland!  Now you can until the 1st July in King George Square Brisbane.

We visited The Winter Festival last Sunday and it was magical!  My youngest has always seen ice-skating on the TV and begged to go.  I was always a bit hesitant due to the fact she is only 3 and ice is hard when you fall (I know I have hit the ice many times).  I looked up the Winter Festival online and discovered the great Bobby Seal- what a fantastic idea!  I was then sold we were going!

Once there it was literally a winter wonderland, both the kids were in awe of the set up.  It really feels like you are walking into a little snow village! There were several little huts surrounding the ice rink, serving yummy winter warming delights!  Attached to the ice rink was the Lipton Tea tent, which was lovely and warm and you could sit on the edge of the rink in there so great for spectators.

                           

All the staff were so helpful and we grabbed our skates and Bobby and headed to the gate!  My eldest (3 years) wanted to try skating so she did attempt it but very slippery and she opted to stay on the safety of Bobby and be pushed by me.  It was really a great family time as we pushed the kids around the ice, the smiles on all the kids faces (some scary looks on parents faces as they tried to stay upright) was just magical.  It was a great day out and one the kids will look back on and smile about.

                           

It is definitely worth the trip to King George Square for this event, with school holidays upon us definitely add this event to your to do list!  Plenty of parking, public transport, great amenities and just a magical winter atmosphere!  Head to their website here and get your tickets and have some winter fun!

Kate xx

The Journey So Far

Motherhood brings with it triumphs, dilemmas and challenges! I have had my fair share of all of these with my two little ones. The biggest triumph I have had with both the kids has been breastfeeding- Miss P was fed until 16 months and Master X is still feeding at 17 months. I have had a wonderful journey with both and the journey for Master X and I is almost over, we would like to add to the tribe and in order to do this I need to cease breastfeeding (doctors orders and I had to do the same to fall pregnant with Master X) here lies the dilemma, getting Master X to go along happily with this is the challenge!

We are not ones for cry it out and Master X will not allow anyone else to settle him especially if not feeding is offered! So I began to do what I do best- read and research. I found an excellent article by Dr Jay Gordon (thanks to a great friend for it) on gentle night weaning (here) and it's exactly the way we would want to approach it and intend to. I also visited the Australian Breastfeeding Association forum and gained alot of tips from other mums and breastfeeding experts. It also made me reflect back on the journey to the end so far.

About two weeks ago I stopped day feeds so Master X was only having feeds at night. I thought this would be the best way and then we would just focus on the night feeds. Well he got sick (still no day feeds) so night feeds remained and then I to sick so again still feeding at night. This brings us to now. As of late my little man has been throwing alot of very emotional tantrums, really upset heartbroken almost. I know this is common for his age but I can see there's more to them. Since the time I stopped his day feeds he has become very clingy and quite upset if I move away from him and has begun waking more frequently at night than normal. He wakes quite scared and almost as if he's lost. Then I thought a bit harder and looked at the big picture. Master X began this over emotional behavior a day after I dropped day feeds, it was gradual but started then. Then his night wakings became more often and alot more upset when he woke- normally he'd wake, roll over, feed go to sleep but lately he wakes screaming, then eventually feeds then asleep. He has also been waking at 430 am everyday, he normal rises early like the rest of the house but normally 530-6am! Then today he seemed really unsettled and it really concerned me, he had a good nap through day, no teeth, not sick. I kept thinking I know this has to do with breastfeeding. Lately he has been pulling on my shirt through the day crying for milk. So tonight I have decided I want my happy little boy back and I have been going the wrong way about it. Thanks to some expert advice from Australian Breastfeeding Association I realized I was doing things in reverse. I need to increase the day feeds which will eventually decrease the need/want for night feeds. This will then allow me to begin gradual total night feeds.

I have such a great supportive husband who always tells me to just listen to my heart and listen to Master X. As much as we want to add to the tribe, if there is a bigger age gap between number 2 and 3 then so be it we would rather that than Master X being so unsettled. So to,or row starts the new plan of attack, day feeds reintroduced and increased- when wake, after breakfast, morning tea, after lunch, afternoon tea, afternoon and before bed. I know this won't have an instant effect but hopefully over few weeks he will not wake as much through night for a feed as he is being fulfilled throughout the day. His tantrums will probably still remain (being an 18month it comes with the territory) but they won't be as emotional. I have had the best journey(s) with breastfeeding so far I don't want to end it badly. So wish me luck in this journey and here's to making my little man feel reassured again.

Kate xxx

School Holidays...So Far

Rain you can leave now and do not return for at least 2 weeks!!!!  We have this great calendar filled with activities to do over the holidays and majority of activities are OUTDOORS!!  

On a brighter note, we went to Dora show yesterday and it was great!  I just love to see my kids faces mesmerised and full of joy!  Master X slept for the first half and then woke and enjoyed every minute from there.  Meanwhile Miss P was dancing and following Dora's directions the whole time.  We caught the City Cat from South Bank and again the kids loved it!  If you are looking for something to do definitely take a City Cat ride around the river, maybe get off at a few stops, the tickets last for 2 hours so not an expensive activity either.  Find the City Cat timetable here. 

So our school holidays are off to a great start, a little rain this morning but lots to do at home so works well.  Taking Miss P to the movies tomorrow for some one on one time, seeing Brave so I will write a review tomorrow!  Then its Disney on Ice Thursday night which we are really excited about, again a review to come!  So much to look forward to and I really am just loving the time with both the kids.  For awhile there I felt my days were flying by and I spent so much time stressing about the house or bills instead now I am focusing more on the things I can never get back like creating childhood memories with the kids!

Hope your school holidays are going well, what do you have planned?  Any fun things you'd like to share please do.

Kate xxx

Holiday Fun!

Its that time of the year again, school holidays!  Miss P has 3 weeks off and we are very excited and planning has begun!

With so many things to do these days its not a matter of what to do but more when to fit it all in!  So far our school holiday calendar has bowling, botanical gardens, beach, Dreamworld, Dora show and parks!  But we also want to stay home for some of the days too so we have stocked up on craft supplies  for these days!

It's so nice to have this time with her and I just know Master X is looking forward to having his partner in crime home for 3 weeks.  I am sure you will see the progress of our art and craft as the weeks go on.

Happy school holidays to all those lucky enough to have them!

Kate xxx

Always a Positive

The sun is out and its a new day! The worries of yesterday have gone and time to move on people!

Well sort of anyway! The theory is great and I try to live by it but sometimes Mr Negative still creeps in and we realise we are HUMAN!

Recently some aspects of my life have changed, kind of for the better but in a sad way too. Us girls we value our friends (Im sure guys do too but we have a different connection to our friends) so when one departs us it kind of hits us hard. sometimes this is out of our control which in my case it is and i love this friend dearly but she is just that my friend and a dear one at that and i must respect her desire to distance herself from me. Does it make it easier? No way in fact harder. Its always easier if there is a clear reason, a massive argument to make it clear why this is happening but other times there isn't one and you just have to go with it. I have previously been very upset (internally) trying to comprehend it and coming to terms with reality of semi losing this close friend, but I am at one with it now. I am still upset at times and confused but really do I get upset and waste my life wondering or do I get on with it, let my emotions be known and just hope one day she will venture back? I have chosen the latter, I'm living my life!

I read a very sad blog the other day and ever since then my perspective on life has done a 360! No longer to I get upset over tiny things, or annoyed at meaningless things. My husband works very hard for us so the time we have with him we need to make every second count! If the house is a mess no longer am I running around yelling at kids to pack up, they're kids after all and they aren't being rough with the toys they're merely playing and having fun! This long weekend just gone I made myself aware every time I went to jump in when my husband was playing with kids, or when the kids started getting toys out and when the house looked like a tornado had hit it! Instead I went with it (I still tidied dishes and the usual) and it was a much much happier and fun household! Who knew one person could change the way it all functioned- I know the MUM does it again, right?? We mum's control a lot of how our families are and I have just realised this and it is so true! I stopped stressing and being military mum and all of a sudden we are functioning and happy! Although I am still military mum when needed but everything in moderation!

And it is our 5 year wedding anniversary this weekend and we are heading to The Hilton in Surfers Paradise and I can't wait! We decided instead of presents which we probably won't use again lets go away as a family, be pampered in a luxury hotel and enjoy what we as a husband and wife have created together!

So its onwards and upwards for me, I hope you all can see the brighter side of life too! And remember we all have and are entitled to bad days, there are days everything is negative its the world against me but then I realise what and who I have in my life and it makes the bad days a little easier. Mind you there are those days everything seems to go wrong the minute I open my eyes so I normally just write those days off!

Stay positive, laugh lots with people you love and who love you!

Kate xx

Oopsie Lunch Bag Review

Having two little ones I have definitely gone through many lunch bags and lunch boxes!  We have done the cheap ones, the designer ones, the character ones and the in between ones!  But whilst out and about one day I noticed a lunch bag I actually liked the look of and the size was perfect!  I then searched and searched for Oopsie lunch bags and managed to find them here. 

The beauty of this lunch bag is really the size!  I can fit snacks and lunch for the two kids all in this one bag!  Yet its not bulky or hard to carry around!  It also keeps things cold for up to 5 HOURS, I normally have yoghurt in there with a small ice brick and I can pack this at 8am and at 1 or 2 in afternoon the yoghurt is still cold!  The other great thing is the design, lovely blue bird design.  They also make a red scooter print in the double bottle bags (also great for a lunch box) and can be found here. 

Every time I go out I get asked at least once where I got this lunch bag from and how nice it looks.  Lets face it if we have to cart so much stuff with us when we venture out lets do it in style right!

(PS I was not paid for this review or given products for this review it is simply there to review a product I love and help other mums and dads out there :-))