Polly Woodside Pirate Day

What do you do in Melbourne on a 39 degree day? Well you throw caution to the wind and decide to take a tram down to South Wharf, check out the Polly Woodside and have a few cheeky ales on the side. Madness l know! Hey it may not be everyone’s cup of tea to get out and about on a hot day but we like to make the most of our weekends.

We’d generously been given a family pass to the Polly Woodside courtesy of the National Trust of Victoria in conjunction with their 100 days of summer campaign.

Now a tiny confession, l have not been to the Polly Woodside for over 30 years and based on my last experience as a child l wasn’t expecting too much. I thought we’d be in and out in about 30 minutes. Oh how wrong l was!

So unbeknown to me, the first Sunday of every month is pirate day for the kids at the PW. Kids can dress up in the spirit of the theme and join in on the various activities like pirate themed face-painting, pirate crafting, swinging from the sails, scrubbing decks, pirate tattoos and of course a cheeky walk off the plank.

The kids were totally captivated with the wonderful PW pirate crew and the activities. The staff are a real credit to the Polly Woodside – all were extremely helpful and the kids found their pirate antics rather amusing. They especially loved scrubbing the decks under the shower of water from up above, and as it was such a hot day it was the prefect activity for them. Although be careful with those broom sticks, Mr 3 nearly lost an eye thanks to Mr 5.  How ironic would it have been if we had to invest in a real eye patch after our outing!

I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience and the kids have been raving about the captain and his crew for days, they even went to bed with their pirate swords which were purchased from the PW souvenir store.

In fact the boys loved it so much we went twice in one day. Yep the kids wanted to go back after lunch. Lucky enough our lunch venue happened to be right next door at The Boatbuilders Yard, you can find all the details on this great place HERE. They have a sandpit and totem tennis to keep the kids amused and of course kids eats and cold beer (for us – not the kids!). Need l say more! It’s a fabulous spot to visit with kids.

So after lunch was inhaled and a few pots had been ingested we rolled on back for more pirate antics in the afternoon.

All in all it was such a great family day out for us, the kids had an amazing time and Mr Bambini and l got to sample some tasty eats and some cold brews. I know l say it a lot – but l HIGHLY recommend a visit to the Polly Woodside with the family. I love it when you don’t have any expectations on how a day will pan out when venturing out with the kids, especially when it was so hot, but the whole family thoroughly enjoyed our outing.

Want some quick info about this adventure?

What :: Polly Woodside Pirate Sundays
When :: 1st Sunday of every month from 10am - 4pm
Where :: South Wharf on the Yarra River
Cost :: Adult - $16.00  - Concession - $13.00  - Child - $9.50 - Family - $43.00 ( 2 Adults and 2 Children)  - Single Family - $32.00 (1 Adult and 2 Children)  - Additional Children $5.00 per child.

Road Test :: Disney's Frozen Afternoon Tea

Mr 5’s eyes always light up when l show him our invitation to The Langham Afternoon Tea preview. He was especially excited this time round as the theme was Frozen, which just happens to be Disney’s new summer film hitting cinemas this December. Yep this movie nut household is all over it! We saw the Frozen preview at the cinema weeks ago and has now gone onto the school holiday list of things to ‘see’ this summer. You can check out a cheeky preview of the film HERE.

As per usual The Langham have got the “Frozen” theme down pat. Reindeer Cupcakes, Snowflake Cookies, White Ice Lamingtons & Snowmen marshmallows paired with Fairybread are just a few of the delights that will be hitting your table. And of course they are all served with Icy lemonade or Babychinos.

This time round l decided to bring Mr 3 along for the experience too. I must admit l was a bit nervous taking Mr 3 to The Langham as he does have a tendency to ‘run around’ a bit, especially when he is excited. But to my surprise he actually feel asleep on the tram, which meant l had to lug him from St Kilda Road through to The Langham complex in 30 degree heat. (Oh yeah that was FUN!) Long story short the Langham staff were more than accommodating to help us out and we set him up on the couch to keep sleeping. They even packed us some take away treats in containers so he didn’t miss out on the goodies.

 

As always Mr 5 was impressed with the sweets selection and his colouring book.

All in all it’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon and l got to thinking that it would be the ultimate Christmas gift to give the kids. So instead of stocking up on cheap stocking stuffers this year why not give the gift of an experience.

Last school holidays it was a sell out so be sure to book your place early.

You can read about our other Langham experiences HERE and HERE!!

Cost
$30 per child
$45 per child with take home activity set & Disney Frozen Story Book
$54 per adult

Times and Dates
Monday 2nd January – Friday 31st January 2014
10am – 11.30am
Or 12 noon -1.30pm

Bang for your Buck – What Do You Get!
Superior High Tea Service in a Child Friendly Atmosphere
Themed Children’s Picture Book and Colouring Pack to take home (Optional)
High Chairs on Site
Change Table

Bambini Tips
Close to the NGV - South Bank - Transport available are Trams and Trains
Ideal for out of towner’s looking for the ultimate Melbourne foodie experience
Ideal birthday or christmas treat for your little man or little miss

Christmas Round Up

What’s not to LOVE about this time of year? I love a bit of ‘Christmas’ cooking and crafting inspiration, so without further ado here are some of the things we’ll be making, watching, eating and drinking in the Bambini household this Christmas. 

1. DIY Mint Sugar Scrub :: 2. Candy Cane Cocktail :: 3. FREE Printable Gift Tags

4. Raspberry Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail :: 5. Holiday Movies :: 6. Christmas Crafts For Kids

7. Kids Christmas Tree Activity :: 8. Gift Wrapping Ideas :: 9. Candy Cane Truffles

 

All of these Christmas ideas along with hundreds of others can be found over on our Pinterest page.

 

Have fun exploring!

McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park

We heart a guest review, especially from the lovely Mel and her babes. This week they tried and tested out the McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park  for the Hey Bambini blog. 

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As the weather warms up, it’s nice to start thinking about somewhere to take the kids that gets them using up energy in the great outdoors. Parks and playgrounds are great if you just want to get out for a short time or catch up with your Mother’s group and the zoo is always fantastic. But sometimes you want to get out of the city and explore somewhere new. Somewhere with plenty of space for the kids to run around, but also with something for the adults to enjoy too. The McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park is just the place.

We recently discovered this gem on a day when a bit of a road trip was in order.

About an hour out of Melbourne, near Frankston, this gorgeous oasis of gardens, sculptures, gallery and café awaits. The 16 hectare property features about 100 sculptures, spread around the beautiful gardens. Take a picnic and explore the area on a sunny day. Guided tours of the gardens and sculptures are available Wednesday and Thursday at 11am and 2pm with a gold coin donation. For groups, tours can be booked on other days. Maybe a novel catch up for the mother’s group?

When the weather isn’t so nice, or you want to get out of the sun, there are three indoor galleries with permanent and changing exhibitions. When we visited, the exhibition was on birds and there was a kids area set up with drawing, origami bird making and tracing. Little Miss and the Little Man could easily have spent hours in there. It was only the lure of babycinos and something to eat at the café that convinced them to leave!

The café overlooks part of the garden and the lake and is a beautiful setting for brunch, morning tea or lunch. The menu is quite limited at breakfast and there isn’t a kids menu as such, but ham and cheese toasted sandwiches, fruit toast, scones or biscuits are likely to go down a treat. At lunch, there is kids lasagne and chips available.  For adults, the gourmet salads, baguettes and hot meals sound lovely. The babycinos come layered in a clear glass and the homemade raspberry and lavender jam with the scones was to die for!

A couple of high chairs are available in the cafe, but there are no changing facilities and no specific activities for the little ones.

All in all, the McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park is a great place to visit when you don’t mind a bit of a drive and want to get out in the fresh air and experience something new. We’ll definitely be back!

Where ::  390 McClelland Drive Langwarrin
Opening Times ::  Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm
Entry Fee ::  Donation
Website ::   www.mcclellandgallery.com
 

There's No Place Like Home

 

 

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Well hello gorgeous readers.

I send out my most sincere apologies for my recent absence. It would seem that l’ve been (in the word of Ned Flanders) a bit of a “neglecterino” of late when it comes to the up-keep of my humble blog.

It’s not to say l’m not thinking about blogging, l think about it every day! No it’s more of a time factor for me at the moment.

You see at the start of the year we decided to demolish our quintessential Brunswick town house and replace it with a sparkly new one.

My last blog post was around September. (Boo Hoo!)

Since then all my spare time has been thrown into getting the house finished by Christmas.

Fingers crossed.

Since September l’ve spent many hours in bed shops, lighting shops, carpet shops, furniture shops AND have spent countless hours online researching ridiculous things like shower curtain rods, brick tuck pointing,  how to clean brass, which front loader is the best  and functional storage solutions just to name a few.

I’m REALLY looking forward to moving in and decorating it. But what I’m looking forward to the most is our new home office, which is where  I will be able to throw myself back into my passion, which is my blog and of course writing about eating out with my kids.

We’re still out and about and you can always follow me on Instagram for all the latest snaps.

This renovation has also turned me into a Pinterest junkie so l’m hanging out over there a lot too.

Is anyone else out there renovating?

Would love to hear if you are.

Stay tuned and we’ll be back soon, l promise!!

Love Jolie x

Mini Review :: Tuck Shop Take Away

We heart a guest review, especially from the lovely Mel and her babes. This week they tried and tested out Tuck Shop Take Away for the Hey Bambini blog.

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Tuck Shop Take Away is a tiny little place on the corner of Hawthorn Road and Glen Eira Road. It only seats about 10 people, so you might get a seat if you’re lucky. Better to drop in on a nice day to get take away and go for a walk.

There are a few kid friendly touches, like a pile of toys by the door and a retro menu with kiddie sized milkshakes, burgers, chips and sweets. Think milko, redskin and nutella milkshakes in old school milk bottles and ‘school lunches’ served on a tray with burger, chips, drink and cake.
It’s all very cute and likely to become a hit with locals who are looking for something different in the café scene.

I dropped in with the kids just after 11am on a Thursday and we were lucky to grab a spot at the bar overlooking the kitchen. Little Miss and the Little Man were fascinated by the ladies making the burgers, which was great to keep them amused. We quickly ordered our milkshakes and coffee and a donut to share. Little Miss loved her milko flavoured milkshake and the Little Man couldn’t finish his peanut butter one fast enough! Thoughtfully, because we were sitting on the high stools, the staff put the milkshakes in takeaway cups, rather than glass milk bottles, so they didn’t accidentally get broken.

We didn’t do lunch this time, but when we’re next in the area, I can’t wait to try a burger or one of the jaffles. Creamed corn with caramelised onion or baked beans and cheese, anyone!
There is no toilet or high chairs available and with such a small space, it’s probably best to grab food and drink to go and head to the local park. Well worth a visit though, for some old-school nostalgia!

Who :: Tuck Shop Take Away
Where :: 273 Hawthorn Road Caulfield North 3161
Opening times :: Mon – Thurs 11am to 8pm, Fri/Sat 11am to 9pm, closed Sunday
Family Friendly Features :: Mini Milkshakes :: Toys :: Plastic Cups :: One High Chair

Road Test :: The Langham Little Mermaid Tiffin

Well folks here comes another round of school holidays, they always seem to creep up so quickly don’t they! I’m actually in disbelief that we will be going into term 4 in a few short weeks, which means that Christmas is just around the corner. Yikes!

But enough about how fast the year is flying by, let’s get talking about my latest mini adventure with Mr 4, which just happens to be to The Langham’s Little Mermaid Tiffin. Avid readers of my humble blog will know we love an adventure into the city. Jumping on busy trams, checking out crazy buskers and peeking into colourful shop windows are what makes an adventure to the city just that little bit more fun and exciting, especially for a 4 year old. We especially heart a cheeky visit to The Langham, what a glamorous place to spend an afternoon!

We were thrilled to be invited back to The Langham to enjoy a very special afternoon tea and as always The Langham put on a first class show. Service was with a smile and the staff were very attentive to Mr 4’s needs.

There is definitely no room for calorie counting when you a visit. The 3 tiered serving platters are brimming with decadent cakes, fluffy scones and mini sandwiches, which by the way were devoured within minutes by Mr 4.  From a little boy’s point of view he wasn’t at all bothered by the ‘mermaid’ theme, as there were plenty of ‘little boy’ options available for him to eat like King Triton Cupcakes, Flounder Honey Joys, Ocean Jelly Square, Sebastian Cakepop, Ursula Cookie, Star Fish Fairy Bread and Ham Sandwiches. Yep like l said they were all inhaled in record time!

For us it was a special school holiday treat before all the Christmas bills and craziness comes rolling along.

*The Little Mermaid Tiffin is running these school holidays in conjunction with the DVD & Blu-Ray release of the timeless Disney classic with is available from September 11, 2013*

Cost
$30 Per Child an extra $15 if you would like the Little Mermaid Book & 3D Model Set
$49 per adult
*Child Rate up to 12 years of age and must be accompanied by a paying adult

Times and Dates
Weekdays from Monday – Friday 23rd September – 11th October
10am-11.30am OR 12 noon – 1.30pm
More Information click HERE

Bang for your Buck – What Do You Get!
Superior High Tea Service in a Child Friendly Atmosphere
Theme Matched Colouring Sheets – this visit we had Ariel and King Triton.
Themed Children’s Picture Book to Take Home (Optional)
High Chairs on Site
Change Table

Bambini Tips
Close to the NGV - South Bank - Transport available are Trams and Trains
Ideal for out of towner’s looking for the ultimate Melbourne foodie experience
Ideal birthday treat for your little man or little miss