Road Test :: Colorific Brain Noodles

Little Miss and I were lucky enough to trial the fantastic Brain Noodle ‘Primary’ pack from Colorific. What better way to spend a wet Melbourne day than to get crafty?

Colorific are an Aussie owned company that create all sorts of craft products and toys for your little ones.

Brain Noodles are big, fat pipe cleaners that you can do all sorts of wonderful things with, especially if you’re a bit creative. The great thing about the Brain Noodle pack is that you don’t need to be particularly crafty or imaginative because everything you need, including instructions, comes in the box!

From our packet, we made a panda, lion, parrot and butterfly. The instructions were easy to follow and I was pretty chuffed with the end result, even if they were a little wonky! Little Miss loved the parrot and was more than happy to fly it around the lounge room.

The pack is recommended for kids over 5, so I did most of the work, but Little Miss enjoyed sticking the eyes on to our creatures and playing with the left over bits and pieces. I’m sure older kids would have a great time trying to make the animals themselves, even if Mum and Dad need to help with some of the more fiddly bits.

The great thing about the Brain Noodles is that they can be reused over and over again, so if you want to have a go making something else with them, then you can. When I’m feeling a bit more creative, I might just have to give that a go! For now, we have a few more animals to add to the ever-growing collection on the book case.

Thanks Colorific for giving Little Miss and I something fun to do on a day when the weather gods had other ideas.

Wordless Wednesday

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Sweets For My Sweet :: Immigration Museum Event

It was my absolute privilege to attend a preview night last week at the Immigration Museum. It was an event that was close to my heart, well actually more close to my taste buds.

Mel and l got a cheeky peak of the exhibition “Sweets” – Tastes and Traditions from many cultures. The “Sweets” event is part of the upcoming Melbourne Food and Wine Festival that will be held in March.

In a nutshell – or should l say in a cannoli shell “Sweets” is an event that showcases sweet tastes and traditions from an assortment of cultures such as Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mauritian and Turkey. At the "Sweets" exhibition you’ll get to discover how each sweet treat is lovingly made by women in the community, what tools they use, ingredients and what special role they place in that particular culture's traditions, such as family celebrations, important rituals and cultural holiday events.



Once we got all the nitty gritty history out of the way on the night it was straight into trying a beautiful array of tasty and petite sweet treats. From baklava to mochi we tried it all, but my personal favourite, which l had no previous knowledge about what-so-ever were the Mauritian sweets, which really impressed me.




My personal favourites were the Mauritian petite pink biscuits {Napolitain}. They had perfectly smooth icing and inside was buttery biscuit goodness with a hint of jam. Other Maurtian treats included the green and pink coconut bites {Gateau Coco} and creamy coconut tarts with glossy red cherries on top {Puit dámour}. l was in sweet heaven.



Am l tempting you yet? Well put these dates in the diary and make the "Sweets" event a part of your Melbourne Food and Wine festival eating experience.

Sweets Festival
Sunday 18 Mar 2012 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Included with museum entry

Sweet Dinner by Guy Grossi
Thursday 15 March 6:30-10:30pm
Adults $180 MV members $170

Like a FREEBIE to this event? Simply leave a comment to go into the draw to win a double pass to Sweets event on the Sunday the 18th of March.

We have TWO double passes to giveaway which will also include a Sweets Recipe book from the exhibition.

GOOD LUCK....xx

My Creative Space :: Mini Dinosaur Park

It’s amazing what you can do with an old tray, some plastic dinosaurs, a bit of chip-bark and cuttings from a tree.




Ta-dah…..one instant Dinosaur Park complete with water hole (a painted milo tin lid!)

Mr 3 has taken great delight this week playing with his dinosaur park which we built with our own hands. It gets him outside, encourages creative play and gives me 5 minutes of peace and quiet.




I wanted to create an activity for him that can be easily relocated if the weather turns nasty outside and as the dino park is in a tray it can be easily moved around the place without making a mess.




During our park outings he his has been on the lookout for new additions for his dino park which have included rocks, sand and flowers.

In all it’s been a big winner so far not only for the entertained factor but he is also learning about plants and animals without even realising it. What have you created this week?

Sponsored Post :: Trade Secret - Big Brands Cheeky Prices

Today we are sharing a bit of shopping LOVE with our readers - as you know we love a bargain as much as the next person so l just had to share this little "Trade Secret"....Enjoy....xx




SAVE UP TO 50% ON A HUGE RANGE OF OSH KOSH AT TRADE SECRET!!



Calling all mums and bubs! Forget tirelessly searching for well-priced, good quality and fashionable looking clothing for your children, as Trade Secret will make your shopping experience quick, easy and affordable by offering a wide range of brands with savings of up to 50% off the RRP.

Scribble down the 15th of February in your diary because that’s when a massive range of Osh Kosh will hit the floors at Trade Secret with up to 50% off other store prices. As the largest children’s clothing brand nationally, and a favourite amongst mothers, Osh Kosh clothing for newborns, toddlers and children aged between 0-7 years old will be available at Trade Secret with massive savings for you!

For babies, there will be a great range of Corduroy tunics and knit vests that can be matched with great shirts and cords, as well as multi pack bib and rompers sets that will have you well equipped during the first months of your baby’s life.

With autumn and winter fast approaching, girls aged 3-7 will look fashionable whilst still keeping warm with printed leggings ($12.95) and basic tunics (16.95). For boys aged 3-7, wearing jeans ($19.95) and 2-in-1 layered shirts will make sure your little man can keep playing outside without getting a chill.

Product arrives 15th February but hurry! Only available while stock lasts.

To view a full catalogue visit www.tradesecret.com.au from the 15th February onwards or follow the brand on facebook.com/tradesecretaustralia or twitter: twitter.com/Tradesecret.


ABOUT TRADE SECRET...

Trade Secret is Australia’s leading “off price retailer” – not to be confused with an ‘outlet store’, Trade Secret deals directly with top brands from all over the world to bring you the latest season’s fashion and homewares, always up to 60% less than other stores prices. New stock arrives daily, so there’s something new to discover every day. With 23 stores spread across Queensland, New South Wales and Canberra, savvy shoppers are discovering this season’s biggest and best brands for women, men, children & home, all up to 60% off what you’d pay in other stores.

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The crafty folk over at 74 Lime Lane have taken out
all the hard work when it comes to looking for
cute Valentine’s Day printable’s this February.

(Thanks a million guys!!!)

From cards to gift tags they have got it covered.
So what are you waiting for??

Pop on over to check out this sweet list of cute
crafty Valentine’s Day goodness for your loved ones.

Happy printing.
xxoo

Spotlight On :: "Much Loved" :: Castlemaine

{Much Loved}

This week Miss Mel shares with us her recent day trip to Castlemaine with the family. Mel stumbled upon a gorgeous children’s boutique that caters for families and she also visited a sweet local café with homemade treats and kids activities. Sounds like it was a really fun day. Most jealous indeed! Happy reading! x

On a recent trip to Castlemaine I was lucky enough to stumble across the magical ‘Much Loved’. This beautiful store, selling kids new and pre-loved clothes, shoes, accessories and toys, is located on one of the main streets in Castlemaine.

Just six weeks young in its new location, the store is run by Kelly Bell, mother to a lovely little boy, who has a passion for fashion and children. The beautiful space is a haven for gorgeous kids clothes with activities to keep the kidlets occupied while you shop.

A cubby house, comfy couch for breast feeding mummas, toys galore and the beautiful old dog, Bella, will keep the little ones entertained while you (too easily) spend some money! Plenty of room to manoeuvre prams also takes the stress out of shopping with little ones in tow.

Not content with the quality of kids clothing available in Castlemaine, Kelly decided to start her own business, stocking a wide range of designer fashion. She hopes to expand the range to include more organic fabrics and is on a mission to clothe the kids of Castlemaine and beyond with good quality basics.

‘Much Loved’ is a pleasure to visit, with its bright colours, neatly organised clothes and shoes, cute and quirky toys and accessories. It is definitely the place to visit in Castlemaine. Kelly plans to open an online store soon, so that all the Melbourne mums can stock up on goodies without the drive.

The Hey Bambini Dining Tip while in Castlemaine.....

{Jen's Cafe}

If you’re in need of a quick coffee and bite to eat after all that shopping, then Jen’s Place down the road (85 Mostyn Street) is a good place to stop. With a stack of books, toys, pencils and paper, there is enough to keep the little ones quiet while you re-fuel. The menu is short and simple, but has tasty breakfast and lunch options for young and old. While there isn’t specifically a kids menu, kidlets are likely to find something tempting anyway. There are no other Hey Bambini features, so it’s really just a quick place to visit. The inside is quite small, so there isn’t much room for prams, but there is plenty of room on the wide footpath to park. Outdoor tables are nice if you need a bit of fresh air and sunshine.