Monday, December 19, 2011

little hip travellers passport holder winners...

Thanks to Jetti Spagetti, we have been running this lovely little passport wallet giveaway, and the winners have finally been randomly drawn. So here goes....


So, our lucky winners are:

Talya Erenboim - Will be taking her 3 little hips to Thailand
Anne Marie Cahill - Will be taking her 2 little hips to South America
Beth Dressler - Will be taking her little hip to the USA 
Nicki Griffin - Will be taking her little hip to India and Bali


What a lot of little hip travellers, travelling to some very hip places. Can't wait to hear all about it...

Thanks to all those who entered.

Happy travels with your very hip new passport wallets!

Please email me at info@thelittlehiptraveller.com.au with your address!
Please note, if you haven't been in touch within 7 days, new winners will be drawn.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

{GIVEAWAY TIME} Little hip passport wallets...want one?

How excited do we get just before we head off for holidays (and thats just the adults). What about our little hip travellers?

Why not make boarding a plane, or crossing a border even more exciting for our junior travellers with these fantastically hip passport wallets from Jetti Spagetti?


This is a perfect way to identify your personal passport when approaching passport control - each member of the family can have their own colour, and protect their passport from getting super dog eared at the same time. Made from PVC, they look super hip and my little hip travelling family are in love with these.

Want some for your little hip family too?

Just enter this wee giveaway competition, and you and your little hipsters could look super cool on your travels too.

First of all, make sure you are followers of The Little Hip Traveller and Little Tinkers (alias Jetti Spagetti) facebook pages, and have a look at some of their other goodies. We love it all! Plus tell all your friends - we love sharing.

And then answer this simple question:

Where you would take your little hip travellers with their groovy passport wallets?

Also do tell me how many little people you have, and we'll try and accommodate.

Email your answer to info@thelittlehiptraveller.com.au with "passport" in the subject line.


Find The Little Hip Traveller on Facebook and Twitter
Find Little Tinkers on Facebook

Easy. Happy travels x

Conditions:
Entries must 'like' 'The Little Hip Traveller' on Facebook and / or Twitter
If they already like, please suggest The Little Hip Traveller' to friends
The question 'Where would you take your little hip travellers' must be answered by emailing info@thelittlehiptraveller.com.au with PASSPORT in the subject line.
Open to Australian readers
The winner will be drawn at random and announced on the little hip traveller blog. If they do not contact me within 7 days, the prize will be redrawn
Competition closes Friday 2nd Dec AEST 5pm.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

New Tiny & Little Mag out now...

Whoot Whoot!



The new Tiny & Little Mag is out now, and we're in it once again!

Make sure you have a good look - Its all about celebrating life's milestones.

Check it out here.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Good morning November...already?

Wow, November has approached us super fast....how quickly is this year flying by?

Whilst I start to panic about Christmas coming and being oh so disorganised once more, I've been checking out a few fab online stores. One of my new personal faves is Not on The High Street. Have a look at this fabulous giant colouring world map - is that not just perfect for little hip travellers?

Image: notonthehighstreet.com

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Inspire your little hip travellers through some new threads!

We've mentioned this new biz briefly before, but I've just had my own private viewing of the brand new clobber from Whale Spout, and felt that I had to share. 

Picture your little hips running around in this Paris skirt...what a way to get your little ones interested in our great big world! 



Love it. You must head on over and check out this beautiful website. We can't wait to get our hands on some of the fabulous new threads from Whale Spout. 

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The very hip and highly essential 'Kiss it better bag'

With a background in teaching, running a new business as a first aid educator, and two young boys to raise, Vanessa Williams is one that loves to have her hands full, so yes, why not add the production and launch of her latest baby, the 'Kiss It Better Bag' to the mix?
Vanessa, a fellow graduate of the wonderful Bizness Babes course, knows what its like to do it tough, having lost her home to the horrific Kinglake bushfires back in 2009, so when reassessing life, made the brave decision to launch her own business First Aid 4 All. To compliment this exciting new venture, it only seemed right to market a fabulous and very hip product, the 'Kiss It Better Bag'. Launching at this years Melbourne Pregnancy and Babies expo last weekend, we at The Little Hip Traveller were fortunate enough to be one of the first to grab a wallet for review.

And, wow, what a product. This is way beyond your average first aid kit...and it has to be said that Vanessa really has thought of it all. First of all, you have the choice of two sizes; the funky shoulder bag, or the hip wallet size first aid kid. The nylon wallet is designed to be stashed in the glove compartment of the car, or under the pram, whereas the canvas shoulder bag, which is large enough to accommodate a spare set of clothes, and which clearly is filled with a few extra items, and can be used in all circumstances. The choice is yours.

The wallet, which we were kindly sent, is of perfect size to stored just in the right place when necessary. Its filled with a vast array of highly essential equipment to mend a bloody knee from a playground accident or assist with the more serious injury. It unfolds to reveal four separate compartments, one of which can be unstuck and popped in your handbag to accommodate those essential day to day items....clever! Not being an expert in what should be contained in a first aid kit, the amount and variety of equipment seems to me to be very thorough and correct, and I have to say, my favourite items are the jelly beans, stickers and cartoon figured / different coloured plasters. Enough to put a smile on my little 'hips' faces after a minor accident methinks. The pen and paper, and emergency numbers magnet are also a very clever addition too.
I have to say, this kit is an essential must have for not only day to day life, but travelling in particular, and the wallet sized kit is just perfect for any road trip, or overseas travel. Highly useful is the refill kit available on the Kiss it Better website. I told you, Vanessa really has thought of everything!

A fabulous product Vanessa, to compliment your very hip business, and I wish you all the success (and am super proud to share this with everyone who listens!)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

A right royal hip traveller

Image: news.com.au


Apart from my Prince William scrapbook as a child, I wouldn't really call myself a Royalist as such, so why, when watching the Queen visit Queensland on TV, did I become all rather excited? I suppose, as many are suggesting, this may be her last visit down under, and whilst we at The Little Hip Traveller generally concentrate on Little Hip Travellers, I do actually feel some admiration for our Queen, who is now at the ripe old age of 85. Its a tough gig making the trip down under even as an adult, but at that fair age, it really is highly commendable.

So happy travels through Australia Queen - its lovely to see the joy you bring to others, especially those Little Hip Travellers to be, who've been without a doubt practising their courtesy's in front of the mirror, and donning their special frocks and tiaras for this special visit.

Were looking forward to your arrival in Melbourne.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Out and about with your little hips on a rainy day...

What do you do when you wake up to the sound of heavy rain?

Grab your little hips (well big hip was otherwise engaged today so it was just a girls day out). Dress up in gumboots, raincoat, Charlie and Lola umbrella, some lovely friends, and a big sense of humour, and head to Melbourne Zoo of course!

Aim for the largest puddle you can find, and splash to your hearts content!

Oh, did you see the Urban Jungle Mountain Buggy that we are currently testing (more to come soon!)






Monday, October 17, 2011

Loving this ingenious Pacapod

Once upon a time, there was a very hip mum to be / designer of outdoor clothing, who was cycling around New Zealand and Australia, (as you do), when suddenly she had a brain wave. When she had completed her travels overseas, she set out to adapt what had started as a converted cycle pannier bag, ensuring everything was super easy to find, into an amazing concept and eventually a very successful business was born. This very clever and organised Mumpreneur had ultimately created the Pacapod - an extremely unique range of baby change bags cleverly designed for the super organised and hip mum.   

The reason why this is such a unique bag is its 3-in-1 organising system. Essentially what this equates to is that inside each bag are smaller 'pods' that can be removed and used when your little one requires perhaps a change, or a feed, or even some toys. They  fit nicely inside the bigger bag, so you can either take the whole bag out and about with you, or simply just pop one of the 'pods' in your pram (underneath or use the strap to attach to the pram handle), or in the car, and away you go. Oh, and think about plane trips - just grab the pod that you require and head off to those little cubicles - no fuss. Love it! No more pulling everything out of your bag to find that pesky little dummy, or those baby wipes urgently...its all superbly divided into those oh so how very organised pods. Very hip. Very cool. Very organised.

The feeder pod and changing pod are both of adequate size to fit enough equipment for a full days use. The changer pod includes 5 pockets and a separate clothing area, and the feeder pod is fully insulated and big enough to fit 4 bottles (plus keep them warm for up to 3 hours). 

But I have to admit, my favourite part is the toy pod (well, just ask Miss 2 - she'll tell you all about it). Recently upgraded to include the detachable safety reins (perfect for those moments at busy airports / train stations etc), plus the option to personalise the bag with a special photo slot / identity window, these little toy pods are brilliant to provide our little people with their own special place to pop their highly important and treasured items in. Cute designs (we love the wee giraffe pod), and a perfect size to suit those little hip travellers. When not in use, our toy pod is attached to my daughters pram so her dolls can take full advantage of it too! 

Oh, and did I mention that there's even cute little parents sections of the bag where your keys, phone etc can live. Hasn't this fab Mumpreneur just thought of everything? Plus, when those baby changing days are long gone, you can fit most laptops into the bag....oh, how we love an adaptable bag such as this which such longevity. 

Each bag is cleverly named after places that this Mumpreneur had visited (Napier, Pheonix, Coromandel, Portland, Almora etc), and is unique in appearance designed to suit all different styles of mum / dads and bub! These bags are so revolutionary, they won the most innovative product prize at the Mumpreneur Awards in the UK last year, plus a few other awards since, and I am sure there will be many more to come.

Good work Pacapod team. We love this product - in fact love all products that makes us appear to look super organised, and this certainly does...Thanks so much for the opportunity to test it out.


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Fancy riding your own innovative 'Pod' to the departure lounge...


Heathrow airport have introduced 21 battery powered, driverless 'pods' to transport passengers from the carpark directly to their chosen departure area.

The Pods are designed to carry four passengers - so in the case of a little hip travelling family, 2 adults and 2 little people. Shame it cannot accommodate more. What about those families with 3 little hips!

They are designed to eliminate around 50,000 bus journeys in the Heathrow area per year, easing the strain on the hugely congested airport vicinity. When not in use, the Pods are recharged, ready for their next journey.

They do say that the journey is already part of the adventure....love it. Good one Heathrow airport (Mmmm, have I ever said that before?)



Sunday, October 2, 2011

Some hip finds to start the week nicely....

Train bedding, Germany

I've been looking at this very hip "global bazaar" for a while, and thought it was about time I shared. Hocusadabra has a wealth of fabulous bits and bobs for little 'hips' and I'm just loving the theme that it represents.

Hocusadabra believe that "its our responsibility to share important messages" through their choice of merchandise ie BPA is damaging to kids health, its vital to use sustainable material, support independent designers, listen to music from our tribes etc etc. Love it!

So here are a few pics of my fave bits.

Good work Hocusadabra!
Lucas Whale Lunch Pack, Beatrix, NY

Juju Ladybird bag, Beatrix, NY

Organic Graze Bags, California

Train baby blanket - Designed in Germany

Sunday, September 25, 2011

A very hip African experience...aka The Lion King

Today, we took our little 'hips' to an early morning viewing of The Lion King. As a rule, I am not a massive Disney buff, but this cutsy little flick is a one that is v close to my heart. Back in 1994, I spent an extended period with wonderful people in East Africa. One of those people, one of my besties, died in a car accident a few years later, and I vowed that I would do all things possible to explore the world, as she had introduced me to the world through her family in East Africa. Hence my passion for travel, through my career, love, life, and now The Little Hip Traveller.


When we returned from our adventures in Africa, The Lion King was big news, and we loved it. And today, I loved that my little hip family were absolutely in awe of the flick, as I was back in 1994 (and still am!) Mr 4 year old hip was super delighted - African animals are totally his thing, and he was jumping around in his seat with excitement. He even yelled out (really rather loudly), "Are you okay Dad" when Simba's dad was fatally injured in the buffalo stampede. And of course, our little lady was equally excited by the wonders of the savannah. 


The Lion King is a terrific way of introducing your little people to the beauty of Africa, and I was delighted to pass on my passion of this amazing continent to them. However you choose to do it, absorbing your little ones in other cultures is just key to creating little hip travellers. Oh, and its lovely to go and see a wee flick together as a family on a Sunday morning too! 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Travels in Tassie with 2 little people in a campervan...

A few months ago, we met up with our very good friends over in Tasmania. We were all heading there for a wedding (which was wonderful), and for hip hubby and I, this was a good excuse for a weekend without little people (thanks inlaws). 



pastedGraphic.pdf

Our friends however, decided this was a good opportunity for a holiday with the 'hips' and were gracious enough to write a h  ugely informative review of travelling through Tasmania in a campervan with a then 3 1/2 and 6 month old! 

Have a read - Its a great source of info for those heading over to Tassie with the family, or heading off elsewhere in a campervan. 

Thanks Tony and Jill. We loved spending some time with you in Tasmania and being ever so slightly in awe of you whilst we travelled carefree without our little hips! Over to you.....

pastedGraphic.pdf



Here's a bit about our family 
We’re a family of four plus two cats, all kiwis living in Wellington NZ. Jill and Tony with Sienna who is now just 4 and Lucia who is just 1.
The trip
Our latest trip took us to Tasmania - the excuse was a friend’s wedding on the east coast and we decided to make it longer, hire a campervan and have a look around as well as visit friends.
How did you get there?
We flew Qantas, Wellington- Melbourne- Hobart, then Sydney on the return trip. We’ve flown with Qantas and children previously, but rarely with the combined package!  Some of our trips with Qantas have been better than others. The flight over was ok, Sienna was pretty excited about the flight, which was luckily in a newer plane with a personal TV screen and the tray table. We got the person in front of her to lean their seat back so she could see the screen due to Sienna being vertically challenged, which seemed to work brilliantly. It was great travelling with three seats, as there was no risk of offending a stranger, however there isn’t much room when there is four of you and an infant that grabs anything within her reach. Luckily she spend a lot of the time asleep on mummy. On the flight over the staff were great and helpful even taking Lucia for a walk up the front. 
However on the flight home our call bell was ignored for twenty minutes while Lucia cried as she was hungry and we couldn’t reach her food as we needed our trays collected. The air stewardess was really rude when she finally came so not such a good experience. Overall we don’t think that Qantas is overly child friendly, certainly no children meals or strollers allowed but maybe this is a Trans-Tasman experience. We did get a kiddie pack of colouring pencils and activity pads that were a bit old for sienna. Being Kiwis we would recommend Air New Zealand for in-flight service but we may be bias!
Touch down in Tasmania and Hobart airport was an interesting experience with queues to get into the building on the tarmac due to slow screening of baggage for fruit. We had wished that we had jumpers available for the children as the queue was outside in the dark at night. We wondered what sort of an airport we had arrived at!
Where did we stay?




pastedGraphic.pdf

We had hired a campervan through
Maui as we thought it would be good to have the kids in the same beds every night, quite the new experience to get used to but it was fun. Great being able to travel around and only have to unpack/pack up once for our trip was great. Tasmania 
 is also quite campervan friendly with lots of places to stop and quite a few places to camp as well as campgrounds. Not always the easiest to find a place to park up a big camper in the towns and cities (Hobart) though, so if anyone knows of a guide book on where to park a big bus let us know – there’s an opening for a new guide book collection!!
Our biggest challenge?
Winding narrow roads with a large camper, combined with cyclists and logging trucks! Balancing battery power till the next plug in with demands for the Dora DVD on the big screen.
Big recommendations
Warm clothes for everyone even in summer- swimming one day and almost snowing the next, Tasmania!
Eureka Berry farm, yummy lunch and we brought home a few sauces and jams.
Tasmania Devil conservation park at Port Arthur was awesome.
Port Arthur – a educational experience but cold on the day. Good for a picnic on a warm day with a great backdrop.
Best experience was playing and swimming at the beach in surrounds of Coles bay, Freycinet National Park, and the wedding of course.


Main tips for traveling with kids
Don’t forget to play with them to help pass those waiting hours in planes and airports. Handy to always know where the toilet is and the next supermarket with room for the camper in the car park. Scrapbooking with a small exercise book, glue stick and kiddy friendly scissors (not as carry on), was a  good time filler. We wrote in it every day and stuck pictures and photos of what we had been doing. Information centres were great to grab pamphlets from. Sienna took this to Kindergarten when we got home and it has helped her remember the trip. The journey can be just as exciting as the destination, especially in a camper travelling with your toys in your home every day – and for the kids it was even better! 
And don’t leave home without!
Baby Bjorn front pack, was great as we didn’t need a push chair and is super comfortable. 
pastedGraphic.pdf


Thanks Jill and Tony - maybe next time we'll take our kids too! 

Friday, September 16, 2011

We are just loving My Busy Bag...

School holidays are just around the corner - yikes! So for those getting out and about with the little 'hips', whether it be a road trip, plane or train ride, or just merely heading down to the beach for the day, we must try and keep those little ones entertained.

Whilst us grown ups might like getting out of the hustle and bustle and seeing 'not much' every once in a while, there's only so much looking out of the window that kids can do...we know that. I-spy really doesn't last that long when travelling with the little 'hips'.

So we at 'The Little Hip Traveller', have been fortunate enough to review the very hip activity packs from My Busy Bag. Not only have we used them on a road trip from Melbourne to Canberra, but we also refilled them and sneaked them off to Malaysia to keep the kidlets happy. This is one that we've been meaning to share for a while, as there's nothing better than having a prepacked goody bagged delivered to your door, whilst you are trying to pack for your whole family, and do a million other things before you head off.

My Busy Bag are experts at just knowing how to entertain a little person on a long journey. They've hand picked some really unique bits and bobs, and popped them all in a super convenient (and rather cute) cotton drawstring backpack. They have different bags to suit different ages (toddler, 3-4 and 4-6) so fun for all the family.

Yes, you may think that this is all rather easy to collate yourselves, but who has the time, or energy to find activities that your little Mr or Miss have never seen before, or will be bored of within two mins? Parents can choose relevant age / gender related quality entertainment for their little people, whether it be the ready to go Travel / Activity Busy Bags or the other hip goodies that can be purchased in addition. Brands include Melissa and Doug, Peaceable Kingdom Press, Tiger Tribe. Bobble Art and Wild Republic to name but a few.

So what does one receive in a My Busy Bag?

Our Mr 'animal / dinosaur loving' 4 year old hip was totally entranced by his goody bag which contained the following:

Travel Busy Bag (3-5 years) - Boy

Ăª  Educational Colours colouring book
Ăª  Crayola 12 pack crayons
Ăª  Wild Republic dinosaur figurine
Ăª  Wild Republic Find and View camera
Ăª  Lace & trace shapes x 2
Ăª  Wikki Stix mini pack
Ăª  Peaceable Kingdom Press Stickers
Ăª  Wooden ball puzzle
Ăª  Wooden caterpillar game tin
Ăª  Wooden giraffe press toy
Ăª  Mini Notebook
Ăª  Stamp
Ăª  My Busy Bag cotton drawstring backpack

And Little Miss 2 year old (going on 12) hip, loved her My Busy Bag


Travel Busy Bag (3-5 years) - Girl

Ăª  Educational Colours colouring book
Ăª  Crayola 12 pack crayons
Ăª  Wild Republic Lil’ Keepers fairy
Ăª  Wild Republic Find and View camera
Ăª  Lace & trace shapes x 2
Ăª  Wikki Stix mini pack
Ăª  Peaceable Kingdom Press Stickers
Ăª  Wooden ball puzzle
Ăª  Wooden caterpillar game tin
Ăª  Wooden giraffe press toy
Ăª  Mini Notebook
Ăª  Stamp
Ăª  My Busy Bag cotton drawstring backpack


I also have to say I have since used the cute drawstring bags for other means - currently my little lady is sitting on the potty totally absorbed with rifling through her 'My Busy Bag' looking for something new...Result!

We love a good quality product such as this, and would highly recommend heading over to My Busy Bag when getting ready for your next family trip! Thanks My Busy Bag. 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The best new products of 2011....

The very hip Kind and Jugend show is on, as we speak, in Germany, and rumour has it, that the best new products of 2011 have just been announced. Here's a little glimpse at one of the winners.



The Origami Stroller from 4moms is the World's first power folding stroller. Also equipped with a kilometre counter, speedometer and thermometer, it folds automatically at the touch of a button. Check out the little vid below. Looking good...

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Fiji for beginners...

So Fiji seems to be totally 'on trend' at the moment, so why not post this fabulous thoroughly enjoyable and in depth review of Fiji, and one that I've had tucked up my sleeve for a while.

Sue, Mike and their little man Matteo travelled to Fiji a few months ago, and were generous enough to provide us with this hugely excellent review. Thanks in advance Sue and family for such a well written and article write up of Fiji. My little hip family and I totally want to go there NOW!

So here we go...over to Sue (many thanks).


Bula Fiji !!!
So tell us a bit about your family
There’s three of us – me (Sue), hubby (Mike) and our little hip (Matteo – 14mths).  Although we live in Sydney, our families are based in Perth and New Zealand, so Matteo is quite the avid traveller already. This, however, was his first international holiday not to go see family....... and what a holiday he had!
Where have you been of late with your little ‘hips’?
Having previously worked in the travel industry, Mike and I indulged in years of carefree travelling the globe, but now with a ‘little hip’, choosing a family holiday took on a whole new perspective and some serious consideration.
In the end we chose to go follow the sun and head to Fiji. I’d been there a few times before and loved it but this was to be a new adventure for the boys.
How did you get there?
We flew to Nadi with Air Pacific and they were great. 
You know you are truly on holiday when you step into an aircraft and hear the soothing sounds of Island music playing and are greeted by beaming Fijian smiles and a resounding “Bula”. Ahhhh...farewell Sydney!
 We had our bassinet cot confirmed for Matteo. Matteo is about 11kgs and was probably just about the right size for the cot. They say it will hold a child up to 16kgs but I have my doubts the cot would be long enough for a child of that size. The staff were fantastic on board and very attentive with our cot put up straight after the seatbelt sign going off (as with the half a dozen other cots).
With sleeping child, Mike and I had plenty of time to watch our own TV screens and eat our yummy meal. Having a child too small for activity books and asleep over meal times, I can’t comment on what other children received in way of services but there was a cartoon movie on one of the channels that looked good.
I would highly recommend Air Pacific, a full service airline for the same price as some of the budget carriers and staff who genuinely seem to love their job.
Where did you stay?
We stayed at the Outrigger on the Lagoon – and this was the true centrepiece to our holiday. Recommended to me by one of my Fijian friends for being the most kid friendly, this place did not disappoint. Located about 1 hour south of Nadi Airport and at the top of the Coral Coast near Sigatoka, this is a manageable distance for a transfer and a brilliant kid’s resort.
We took a prearranged seat in coach transfer with Coral Sun tours to get to the resort. After a 3 ½ hour flight the coach took the ‘mail trail’ and 2 hours to get there stopping at all the resorts to drop people off on the way. I don’t recommend doing the seat in coach option. In actual fact on our way back to the airport we used a company called Pacific Destinationz for our transfer, in a beautiful private car and they provided a baby seat (unlike a coach).  One hour after leaving the resort, we were at the airport. A word of warning though – the roads in Fiji are atrocious so always give yourself more time than needed to get anywhere!
The Outrigger on the Lagoon satisfied all our needs. Hubby got the largest pool in the Southern hemisphere, a golf driving range and course, loads of water activities and four restaurants to choose from to eat.
 I just wanted some time to myself (I’m sure you can relate) so the exclusive Bebe Spa did it for me.
We stayed in the Superior View Room which is their standard room in the main wing. This was all we needed and apart from having a ground floor view, it was just like the Ocean view rooms but cheaper. Two double beds and a supplied portacot, and there was still plenty of room for our son to run around. For larger, more vocal families I would consider the Bures (house huts) located throughout the resort.
Kids are treated like Kings and Queens at this resort.  Aside from the fact that all staff pass by you with a vivacious ‘Bula’, don’t be surprised if everyone from the gardeners to the porters stop to say hello to the kids and ask for a ‘high five’. Our son absolutely loved the attention and didn’t shy away from the kisses and cuddles from the ladies too.
For those that have older kids this resort offers a ‘Kids under 12yrs Stay and Eat Free’ plus access to the free kids club. They have two kids club groups – Ages 3-7 and 8-12yrs and a special fenced in kids club area complete with a play area for the little ones. You name it, they had it when it came to the activities. I saw some of the older kids on the beach learning to fish, having watermelon smashing competitions, t-shirt tie dying lessons, crab racing, and coconut throwing, just to name a few. The little ones were doing all the sorts of things they would at child care – except with copious amounts of singing and dancing Fiji style. 
Sadly Matteo was too young to take advantage of the club activities but here comes another option for others like us. The Outrigger offers a personalised Meimei (nanny) service. For about $40 a day (min 4 days) one of the trained nannies becomes yours for up to 8 hours a day. They meet with you on day one and run through a complete child debrief before you book them in for the days/hours you want. The great thing with this option is you dictate where and what you want your child to do. The nanny will even spend the entire time pushing your child around the pool in the pram if you really wanted it! 
The one thing we personally did take advantage of was the casual babysitting service offered by the nannies. Matteo spend an hour with a nanny (costing us a measly $9) for an adult’s only dinner. It was bliss to not have to warn fellow dinners of incoming ‘grape or cheese grenades’ from our son in his highchair.
Speaking of eating, the Outrigger on the Lagoon has four restaurants and as many bars. The main restaurant is a full buffet option, including a separate kids buffet complete with all time favourites like Spag & meatballs, fish and chips and hot dogs. There’s three other restaurants including a more upmarket adult’s only option. Themed dinners and entertainment are available at the buffet restaurant every night.
When booking we were offered a meal package. We took the breakfast only option given it wasn’t great value otherwise for just two of us, especially since we are not big lunch eaters. For those going with a couple of hungry little munchkins, take the full board package for the adults (at around $600 pp) as this entitles the kids to eat all meals free and at most restaurants. Other than that there is always a child’s menu available offering some surprisingly good food options. The food is not that cheap at the resort if you are just buying a meal at a time, although we walked away only spending around $100 a day for meals and drinks.
This resort is probably the most family friendly resorts I’ve come across. Not a recommendation for a couple of honeymooners, but certainly one for families with kids of all ages and mums/dads that are ready to relax.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

a tiny & little read...


We are very proud regular contributors to the Tiny & Little Magazine, so we thought it necessary to shout out loud, and make sure you all know about it!

The most recent edition came out a few days ago. We were totally excited to be a part of it as it was all about the wonderful world that we live in (and oh, how we at 'the little hip traveller' love talking about our world!)

Have a wee read, and remember to check out our article on p38, 39, & 40 - all about our current favourite must have travel products (thanks Il Tutto, Phil and Teds, Jetti Spagetti, Lima Bean and B.Box).

Enjoy x

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Yellow

Its Daffodil day...its all about supporting cancer research, and its all about yellow (and oh, how we love yellow). Support it by buying a beautiful bunch of daffs, and wearing vibrant yellow. And perhaps do the following:

Why not get your little hips out and about and on the go on their brilliant yellow Mini Micro. We love ours - have a read of our Mini Micro review.


 And yes, well, its not raining today, but yellow Bergstein Gumboots are just what the doctor ordered. Get yours from our friends at Fawn and Fox.




Alternatively, get yourself down to your local cafe and celebrate all things yellow by buying yourself a Lemon Slice. And being 'with child' at the moment, there is absolutely no way I can refuse any thing lemon flavoured, and a lemon slice just hits the spot. My personal favourite one of my local cafes, Gourmet on Gamon - the best lemon slice in the West of Melbourne (methinks). Have a read of our friends at Little Eats review of this bubba friendly cafe (and many more of course).

Make sure you enjoy all things yellow today and support cancer research.

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