Visiting Melbourne: Five Fun Family Activities

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Planning on a family trip to the stunning coastal city of Melbourne? While it was voted ‘the world’s most livable city’ for five years in a row, it’s not just a great place for the locals. With its gorgeous scenery, attractions and fantastic shopping opportunities it makes an incredible tourist destination too. Featuring dynamic film, arts and comedy festivals you can steep yourself in the vibrant culture, and with a plethora of things to do there won’t be a dull moment on your trip. Read on for five ideas for family activities in Melbourne.

1. Visit Marti Guixe’s Fake Food Park

Real life Willy Wonka Marti Guixe is known for his imaginative food inventions, but has now taken it a step further and created an entire family exhibition in Melbourne. It’s a fun yet educational way to teach kids about the dangers of processed food, and features a number of activities and challenges to really get them thinking about it. Definitely something a bit different, you or the kids are not likely to have experienced anything else quite like it.

2. Get Back To Nature With a Camping Trip

Always a family favourite- camping is a fun, affordable activity to do with the kids. Whether you prefer tents or caravans Melbourne is the perfect place to camp outdoors. There are plenty of campsites around the city, so you can sit under the stars and enjoy a tasty meal cooked over an open fire. It’s the perfect way to spend a summer’s night in the beautiful Victoria capital.

3. Explore Ashcombe Maze

The lavender labyrinth and display gardens are a wonderful place to explore in the sun while giving you plenty of opportunities to take beautiful photos. Take part in their ‘great gnome hunt’ or spend hours getting lost amongst the rose and hedge mazes. You can dine at the cafe and even visit the gift shop on your way out for food, beauty and homeware gifts made from the plants and flowers on site. What an enjoyable way to get some fresh air and light exercise!

4. Make a Splash at Adventure Park Geelong

Boasting the title of Victoria’s biggest water-theme park, this is an ideal choice for an action packed day. With rides for adults and kids, a lazy river along with white knuckle experiences there’s something for everyone. For a real VIP experience you can even hire a private cabana for the day- complete with television, fridge, sun loungers and deck chairs. This is a good option for families, if the kids get tired during the day you can take a break from the park and relax before returning back to the fun later on.

5. Experience Virtual Reality Insanity

The Virtual Reality Arena brings you the world’s first ‘six versus six gaming arena’, transporting you into a world beyond your wildest dreams. You can either play in a group of twelve, or play over twenty games in your very own virtual reality station. A great option for slightly older kids, and a family experience that you are never likely to forget!

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Everything I Considered When I Bought My First Family Car

I remember when I bought my first family car. Truth be told, it didn't seem like a big deal. I thought I could buy any car with four wheels and an average price tag, and that would be it. Once I began to explore the market, I realized there were a lot of important things to consider. How much space did I need? You should always think about the future so you might want a bigger vehicle. Is it the safest one on the road? Not all cars are equal when it comes to safety features. Does it have the modern tech that makes it an easier and more efficient car to drive? Obviously, when you’re a parent, you do start to think of cost as one of the main priorities. Join me then as I speed through how to pick the right family car.

Big Family?

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If you have got a big family, I suggest you opt for a seven seater. I would suggest this, even if you only have four or five people in the family. When you have a big family, you’re usually carrying around a lot. Even the weekly shop adds about five extra bags. These cars come with the biggest boot space. If you’re not using all the seats, you can take a few out and have a massive space in the back. It’s also perfect if you’ve got a pet that wants to stretch out.

If you’re looking for comfort for your family, and space, think about a moderately priced SUV. These offer the best rides on the road and have all the extra space for comfort that you need. The suspension is the important part here. With a car like a Landrover, you won’t feel every bump of the tarmac.

Thinking About Safety?

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You can find out about a car's safety features online. My advice is to look mainly at stopping distance and handling. If you read a review, you want a great stopping distance. Unfortunately, the cars with the best stopping distance are often the priciest. For instance, top range sports cars can stop in a couple of meters, even when traveling at a high speed. The Bugatti Veyron is famous for this, but that doesn’t make it a great family car. The price tag alone takes it out of the running completely. However, there are ways to make an average car safer. If you buy tyres for your car regularly, that’s going to improve the stopping distance. I suggest switching them once a year to keep the high level of grip that you want.

Air bags are another consideration. Many cars only have airbags for each front seat. However, some have airbags in the roof and on the back of the front seats. This gives extra protection for people traveling in the back as well as the front. Although, you will have to be careful transporting a baby in a vehicle like this.

Efficiency?

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Finally, I do recommend that you think about efficiency. Specifically, look at cars with great mpg. The less that you need to stop for fuel the better. It’s better to shell out a few extra bucks for the car than for it to be a gas guzzling machine.

Pregnant? Here Are Some Hints And Tips For This Amazing Time In Your Life

Congratulations! You have found out you expecting a wonderful bundle of joy. Whether it was planned or a bit of a surprise, I can imagine you have been feeling a whirlwind of emotions. Excitement, fear, nerves, and happiness, all rolled into one. It is an overwhelming time of your life, so it’s easy to feel bombarded with so many thoughts. You are bound to feel hormonal as well, so I can imagine the overwhelming feelings will be making you feel a little off your game.

With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some hints and tips for this wonderful journey you are embarking on. From vitamins and health through to the shopping and exciting things to do, I hope these hints and tips help you.

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Vitamins you need to start taking

There is so much advice out there these days. It seems to change on a weekly basis. It’s filled with things like what you should and shouldn’t take; what you can’t and won’t eat. While I don’t claim to be an expert in this field at all, there is some advice that has seemed to have stuck throughout the years. Folic acid is one of those things that midwives recommend you take for the the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. They also recommend you take it if you are trying to conceive so the chances are you may already be taking this. Folic acid helps with the development of your baby during those crucial first few weeks.

Another thing they mention is Vitamin D. While this isn’t an essential, it is worth considering and speaking to your midwife. In the latest news experts have criticised women. That taking the pregnancy multivitamins are wasting their money. While there is no proof in this, if you decide to take them then that should be your prerogative.

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Work out the essentials you need to buy

It is so easy to get overwhelmed with what you think you should buy. It is even easier to get carried away, especially with all the gorgeous cute clothes and outfits you can get. But, the best advice would be to work out exactly what you need. What you might want to do first of all would be to speak to friends and families. They may be able to offer you some gems of wisdom and suggest what you may need to buy. You may also find that some of them may want to loan or let you have some of their baby things they no longer need. Babies and young children grow out of things so quickly.

It would also be worth heading to the internet to check out some of the websites offering reviews and advice on the latest baby items. Websites like www.thebabytrend.com have some great information on them. In theory, you don’t need to go too overboard with items. As long as you consider that your baby is kept warm, they have somewhere to rest, and something to stimulate them, then you are on the right path. What you also need to remember is that everyone will want to buy a gift for the baby. So if someone asks you if there is anything you need then you might want to suggest some of the things you might need. This is a great way of saving financial spend on your own budget.

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Keep a healthy balanced diet

Now that you are pregnant, you need to take more care of yourself. But this doesn’t mean that you need to go on to any extreme diets. You need to keep a healthy balanced diet. This is where you get the right amount of protein and carbohydrates; this is where you eat a good amount of fruit and vegetables. But the key thing is not to deny yourself too much. So if you want that piece of chocolate cake, then you should have it.

But the main thing to remember that the whole notion of eating for tea isn’t a consistent way to think. Eating for two means in effect you are going to be eating more than you should be. It’s advised that of course, you should increase the number of calories you eat, but this should only be an increase of around 300 calories. Which doesn’t equate to that much food.

Everything in moderation

Another important message to remember would be to keep everything in moderation. There are many things we need to reduce or cut out of our diets completely when pregnant. But, if you need to reduce it then just accept that you can have those things in moderation. Try and stay as relaxed as possible. This is supposed to be an exciting time of your life and not a time where you worry about every mouthful you take or what certain ingredients contain.

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Keep up with your usual routines

Make sure you keep up with any of your usual routines. If you were a keen exerciser before getting pregnant, there is no reason why you can’t remain active during your pregnancy. This is a great time to keep up with things and will help you keep a level of fitness. But it should also help lift your spirits, improve your mood and help keep any additional weight off. You are bound to feel hormonal at times. So if you can keep to your routines and some level of normal, it will help you.

Also, it isn’t just about exercise but keeping up with things like socialising with friends and doing things with the family. Of course, these things need to be a little different now. No late night partying. But it’s still so important to keep your life where it was. Things are going to change in nine months time, and your life will not be as you once knew it.

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Get as much rest as you can

Yes, it goes without saying, and you will have heard this a thousand times over already. But take advantage of the time you have to rest now. When that baby comes along, you are less likely to be getting a full night's sleep. So take advantage of those long nights and lazy sunday mornings.

I hope these hints and tips help you through your pregnancy.

What Happens If You or Your Family Fall Ill Abroad?

It's a scenario that no one likes to imagine. You're on holiday, enjoying some well deserved time off, when one of your family becomes unwell. The reason we don't like to think about it is because it's so distressing. Ill health, particularly in children, is bad enough when you're at home around people you know and trust. When it happens in a foreign country, even the most benign of sniffles begins to feel alarming.

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It's something you dismiss as a possibility at your peril though. One of the best ways of coping for such a situation is to be as well prepared as possible.

The process of this preparation begins before you even leave. By putting the hard work and worry in at this point, you can prevent catastrophes while abroad. Ask yourself before any trip:

• Can I describe, in detail, any pre-existing conditions that my family has? Can I do it in the language of the country we are visiting? Take computer printouts if you need extra guidance.
• Do we need vaccinations? A huge part of preventing health mishaps is by going for vacinnations. Depending on your beliefs, this may be controversial. With that said, vaccines are considered safe by the medical community. They are all the more important when your child might be exposed to a bug they have never had any chance to encounter before. Speak with your doctor if you need advice.
• How do we access healthcare if we need to? The planning stage is when you go about making sure you have ticked off renewing EHIC card and purchasing travel insurance if necessary. This will make sure any potential ill health is dealt with rapidly, and without you sustaining heavy financial burdens. No one wants to have to make decisions on treatment based on what is the most affordable.

With all of that done, the tough stuff is behind you.

So what happens if you, or your children, begin to feel unwell on holiday?

Don't Assume The Worst

Just because you're in a part of the world with a few nasty foreign diseases does not mean you have caught them. Look at the symptoms as you would if you were at home. Would you go rushing to the doctors if your child had a sniffle or ear ache in the UK? Probably not, so don't do it abroad.

Pay Attention To Fever

A fever can be an indicator that something is wrong that you cannot find the cause of. If anyone spikes any kind of fever (anything over 37C) then it might be worth a trip to a doctor. You might not do that at home, but abroad, you might need more time to make your point if there's a language barrier.

Take Sensible Precautions

If you're in a country where you should be only drinking bottled water, don't run the risk with the taps. Shower thoroughly after using any communal pools and use antibacterial hand cleanser on the whole family when eating out.

Having a plan of action for what to do if the worst happens should help you relax a little. All being well, you can read and act on this information, and then never have to use it at all!

How To Make Sports Day The Greatest Day Of The Year

As parents we want our children to succeed in everything they do. And that includes succeeding in the school sports day. Often parents get far too involved with sports days. Sports day becomes an all-important focus in their lives. When their child wins an event, the euphoria overtakes them. When they lose, they go into morbid catatonia.

That’s why we shouldn’t lose sight of the things that make sports day important. Sports day is about so much more than just running fast or winning the egg-and-spoon. It’s about children and adults coming together for a big event. Sports day is about community. It’s about fresh air. And it’s about enjoying time with friends and neighbours.

If you want to make sports day the greatest day of the year, follow this advice.

Take It Seriously, But Not Too Seriously

Most parents are of the opinion that some degree of competition is healthy for their children. It’s what helps motivate them to do sport in the first place. And when they’ve practiced hard, winning the best team sports trophies can give a sense of pride.

But there’s a limit to how involved parents should get. There are stories of parents taking sports day to the extreme. In some instances, training has begin months in advance. And the training itself was more like something you’d find in an adult training programme. It was hardly appropriate for kids.

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What’s more, many parents have been known to spend thousands of pounds on personal trainers, just to win events on sports day. But when you consider that the egg-and-spoon and three-legged race constitute half the events, is there any point? No, of course not.

Taking Part Also Matters

Of course, for every child that wins, there are a dozen who don’t. And so those children need some form of consolation prize. Taking part, after all, is still important.

If your child isn’t the most sporty, still engage with them. Ask them how they found the race. Is there anywhere they think they can improve? Did they feel proud of how they performed? If not, why not? Often it’s the taking part that can motivate children to get better at sport. But it takes the right attitude on the part of the child.

Prepare For The Parents Event

No sports day would be complete without a parents event. But over the years, parents events have become notorious. Unlike children, parents don’t have the supplest bodies. And this frequently leads to strains and injuries.

Here’s some advice. If you don’t have the fitness to participate, don’t. It’s better to stand out an event than sprain an ankle and have to spend weeks in physio.

If you do decide to take part, make sure you turn up wearing the right footwear. Too many sports days end up with parents with their faces in the dirt. And, of course, if you’re not wearing the right clothing on top, the results can be worse. Here’s a pro tip: go to your kid's sports day wearing your sports kit.

Fun Weekend Activities Kids With Tons Of Energy Will Love

As parents, the last thing we want our kids to spend their spare time doing is sitting glued to the TV or their games consoles. We want our children to be as healthy and happy as possible, which is why we like to encourage them to be active. Sometimes, however, no matter how active they seem to be, come bedtime they still have lashings of energy.

The good news is that if your child seems to have copious amounts of energy, there are plenty of weekend activities you can use to tire them out. It’s just a case of knowing what these life-saving activities are. To give you some ideas for keeping your little ones occupied and burning their energy, I've put together this guide.

Go on a hilly bike ride

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If a normal bike ride isn’t enough to tire your little ones out, it’s time to up the anti. Pack a picnic, including drinks and snacks and hop on your bikes for a day or cycling. Choose a route that’s a little more challenging that your regular one but is still off the roads, and head off. You’ll find that by opting for a hilly cycling route, your kids will use up a lot more energy than normal. A family bike ride and picnic will keep them occupied for the whole day and should tire them out ready for bedtime.

Take them trampolining

A great way to keep your little ones occupied at the weekend is by taking them trampolining. Choose a high adrenalin trampoline park that’s local to you and book them in for a class or a period of free bouncing. The great thing about trampolining is that it’s fun, fast, and burns a lot of calories and energy, making it ideal for kids who have lashings of energy. Pop your little ones on a trampoline for an hour or so and come bedtime they’ll be ready to drop.

Arrange a group picnic in the park

Get some of your friends together for a group picnic in the park. Pack a picnic, take some sports equipment, and spend the day in the park. The great thing about this is that your kids will have plenty of other kids to play with, so should be knackered by the end of the day. Play lots of games, like football and rounders, and let your little ones tire themselves out. The more running about they do, the better.

Go swimming

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Kids love splashing about in the water, so why not plan a day of swimming fun? This could be at your local indoor pool, or if you’ve got a lido near you, you could take them there. Swimming burns lots of calories and uses a lot of energy, making it the perfect activity for tiring out your little monsters. The more swimming they do, the more sleepy they’ll be at bedtime.

If your kids have lashings of energy and never seem to be tired, give the above activities a try this weekend. They just might tire them out.