hip tips and tricks with the little 'hips' to...Bali

Well, we all know that travelling is fun, and travelling with the 'hips' to somewhere really hip is even more fun, and yes, we also know that it really does require a lot of patience and a lot of planning. Well, Vanessa, a fellow mum of 2 hips and a fellow graduate of bizness babes (more on that to come another time), has just returned from a trip with the 'hips' to Bali, and has heaps of handy tips and tricks up her sleeves to share with us....

First of all, a bit about our reviewer...Vanessa Williams has just left the world of teaching to start a brand new venture. After becoming a mum, she decided there was more to life than teaching testing teenagers, and reality really kicked in when Vanessa and her family lost their home in the Kinglake fires - it was a time for new beginnings. Starting up her new business means more flexibility to spend time with her hubby and their two young boys, and to give back to the community that was so amazing to them in their time of need.. Vanessa has just started a fabulous business offering certified first aid courses taught by a qualified teacher. Her aim is to make the learning fun, memorable and accessible. For more information, you can contact her on vanessa@firstaid4all.com - I personally think this a fabulous service, and am therefore exceptionally happy to welcome her here. Please check out her review below...and before long, you'll find yourself, like me, start to plan for your next little hip travel adventure.

"How quickly we said yes to attend our cousins wedding in the gorgeous Bali. Sure we’ll go we said, no problems, how hard could it be taking a toddler and a baby on a 6-hour flight to a country where you can’t drink the water, the mosquitoes carry malaria and the dogs have rabies!? Little did we know! Lots would we find out!

So in preparation, which is half the fun isn’t it, I researched everything. Found a villa that had more than one room, so the kids could nap during the day and we didn’t have to tip toe around the place. I also found one that was owned by an Australian couple, which was handy for communication and transferring money, very reassuring. For about $250US I found a villa, casa dorena that had a pool, three air conditioned rooms, car service, and was a little bit out from the main touristy areas.

Anyway back to the research. I found a great website where you could hire almost anything baby wise, bali baby and it would be delivered to your accommodations door. Very handy! We had also heard there were supermarkets that stocked necessities for babies like Huggies, S26 and Heinz. The prices were if anything more expensive than Australia and the choices very limited. Bubs ate 2 varieties of jar food the whole week! Being on formula I took enough pre-mixed cartons for the plane and our own bottles from home. I bought S26 in Bali and took Milton tablets with me to sterilise the bottles. Bottle water was drunk by all and used in bubs’ formula mix. None of us got Bali belly, which was great. We were warned though to watch what we ate and what we drank, especially things with ice in it.

We decided to splurge and stayed at the Hilton the night before our flight so that the boys could get a normal nights sleep and all we had to do was wander over the bridge and check in then sit down for coffee and breakfast. It was one of the best decisions we made, no 4am start due to how far we were from the airport. I will warn you though the Hilton is pricey and really not worth the money except for the location. Things like half bottles of apple juice in the fridge and backs missing to the remote. The little things that make a big impact!

We ended up taking a stroller, which we could take right up to the boarding gate (you can do this with normal prams too) and a sling. The stroller ended up being used by Mr Toddler if he was too tired and as a highchair for bubs at the villa. The sling was an absolute godsend as bubs ended up with a cold and became very clingy and had trouble sleeping in the humidity. The sling saved my arms and sanity. It could be squashed into the backpack when not in use.

The villa in Bali had its own pool, which was awesome so the boys could go naked and not worry about offending anyone. In Bali most villas come with staff that cook, clean and drive you places (for a fee). This can be hard to get used to but such a luxury too. Ayu would come in the morning and cook us breakfast, banana pancakes and scrambled eggs with freshly brewed coffee and squeezed juice. She would rush through preparations and then take bubs out of my arms so I could sit and eat and relax! Wow, was I in heaven. The transport and driving in Bali is an interesting experience too. I would describe it as organized chaos. Sooo much traffic, motorbikes and cars, all weaving in and out of each other and constantly beeping. The surprising thing was that we didn’t see any accidents or anyone get mad at each other. There is no child seats or restraints. Mr Toddler was strapped in a normal seat belt, he was very proud of himself although couldn’t really see much out the window. Bubs sat on my lap either attached to me with the sling or my seatbelt. A little hairy at times let me tell you.

Other little bits of advice I would give are take a first aid kit (www.firstaid4all.com.au will have them for sale very soon, stay tuned!) with sunscreen for babies and children, baby panadol, charcoal tablets for Bali belly, and to deal with the mosquitoes natural wipes with no deet for the kids, adult mosquito spray and vitamin B1 tablets. Also dare I say it but a portable DVD player was great. You know how before you have children you have these great ideals about parenthood and what you will and won’t do. Well I was determined to not have one of those DVD players that I would take everywhere for my kid. Why couldn’t my children just play eye spy like I did when I was a child! Well I weakened didn’t I! Dare I say it but it was worth its weight in gold. We would only pull it out when we had exhausted all other avenues, like books, drawings, Thomas trains etc. Mr Toddler was in heaven and I must say it is a great bargaining tool too.

Anyway we loved the experience of travelling to Bali. The people were absolutely gorgeous and loved babies! They have this theory that babies are sacred creatures between worlds and are not allowed to touch the ground. Therefore bubs had so much attention that he was in his own little heaven. I must say it was hard work travelling with young children and we craved a stiff drink on many occasion. I loved having family there to help at times too. Overall we are so glad we went and have such amazing memories as a family".

hip names coming to oz...is this 'australia moving forward?'

So, there's been some exciting new developments in the last few days....First of all, our current most popular 'ranga', Julia Gillard, has called an election. This is rather exciting for me and hubby, as this will be the first time that we are able to vote in Oz, as we only became Aussies in Jan this year. In fact, sadly enough, due to years of travel and working overseas, I haven't actually voted since I was 18, back in the UK. Now, 16 years later, I am gathering speed, and trying to absorb myself in all things political. Mmmm, not too sure how interesting that all is....but I have heard about Julia's "moving Australia forward" and here is where it really does get interesting.

I have heard about a few things of late that will really bring Australia forward. First of all, there is the 'fresh off the press' news that Maxi Cosi are coming to Australia in October. This, for those who don't know what I am on about, is fantastic news. Maxi Cosi is everywhere in Europe, and - in a nut shell, they are very bright and funky baby capsules (and also v cool toddler and kids seats) that go from car to pram to shopping trolley, and just click into place. They use a special feature called ISOFIX, which is found in most cars and it is just super easy to use. Australian parents have been waiting for ever for these to come over here, and apparently Maxi Cosi have modified their products to comply with Australian standards. More on this to come I hope.

Secondly, for those hip yummy mummy's out there, the other hip names arriving in Oz (and hence bringing 'Australia forward') are...wait for it, GAP, Zara, and H&M. This is huge news. Wow. These are fabulous shops from the US, Spain, and Sweden respectively, and all have fabulous ranges for mums, hubbys and hips alike. Very exciting news.

So all in all, I am enjoying all this 'bringing Australia forward'. Now back to politics....yawn.

Snow, hip snow men, and lots of smories

Well, hasn't it been cold... Not cold European style, but v cold in Aussie terms. Yes, I am half English / half Swiss, and should be used to a bit of a cold snap, but one does aclimatise to these warmers temps, so I have definitely found myself pulling on an extra jumper. Due to this weather, myself and the Hips have spent quite a bit of time indoors. There has been a bit of cake baking, art and crafts, whizzing round the house on the funky scooter which Hip 1 is rather loving, and dare I say, quite a bit of ABC2, plus Hip 2 has been practising her walking with much enthusiam. But when boredom really hits a high, we plug ourselves into smories which really makes us all giggle. Smories are short stories read by kids for kids, and we love it, and its free. Check it out.

A friend of mine (and also a wonderful blogger / brilliant cake maker & party creator / plus mum of 2 kids), Melissa, has just come back from a quick trip to the snow. I reckon when its cold, what is better than rugging up, and getting out and about with the kids and experiencing the real cold (and then having a few good hot chocolates!) Melissa kindly agreed to write a review of her time in the snow, with some handy tips for travelling with the kids:

We have just come home from a great trip to the snow. We have two children aged 8 & 5, who have never been to the snow before. I think we just about packed every piece of winter clothing we own, along with lots of extra socks and shoes. There is nothing worse than being cold and wet.

I also packed a comprehensive medical kit. A lesson learned after being caught when Dominic suddenly started getting croup in the middle of the night in an isolated location, with no mobile phone coverage. Now we always have a large selection of emergency supplies.

We stocked up on bread, cereal and fresh fruit at the supermarket. I took lot of canned food that would be easy to prepare in a simple kitchen. I also packed the thermos so we could drink warm milo. The kids were quite happy in the car singing songs and playing with their teddies.

The cottage (Silvertop cottages) was gorgeous. We had a large attic master bedroom, and the accommodation was only 30 mins from Mount Baw Baw. The owners provided milk (for that all important hot chocolate), chocolates and Teddy bear biscuits for the kids. A lovely extra touch. We settled down in front of the fire to relax and the children checked out the DVDs and games in the cottage.

The next morning we went to the Ski hire shop in Erica to hire chains fit the car. They are compulsory during the whole of the Ski season. We also decided to hire ski boots for the children and myself. It was well worth it, we all had dry feet for the day. It think it cost us about $60 for everything. We also had ski pants. I would definitely recommend these, the warmer you can keep yourself in the snow the more enjoyable it is. We saw a lot of people in jeans, and they all looked pretty unhappy after falling in the snow.

Big Tip - if you just want to have a play in the snow and maybe a toboggan, I definitely recommend Mt St Gwinear. This is up near Mt Baw Baw, it is a small resort and they don't charge you entry fee. They also have a heated day visitor room if you need some time inside. You must pack your own food though, there is nowhere to buy lunch.

Sounds fabulous to me. I think we definitely need to take the hips up to the snow this year. Thanks Melissa for the fabulous tips. You can check out her blog on http://www.elegantcakesandpartydates@blogspot.com and enjoy the smories too.

Trains, sharks, elephants and markets...out and about everywhere with the hips.

Well, Hip 1's birthday happened to coincide with the Queens birthday long weekend (lucky Hip I say), so he had big expectations. I have always thought that apart from that wonderful 'thank god we made it' 1st birthday celebration, I wouldn't do big birthday parties until the Hips are practically on the floor begging (yes, I am cruel...perhaps next year?) so an action packed weekend with a trip to the Aquarium and the Zoo is what I believe to be more than enough (and fortunately we are members of both, so not too bank breaking).

So we jumped on the train to Southern Cross in order to head down to Melbourne Aquarium. Oh but wait, I had so forgotten how exciting that 10 mins on a train, and 10 mins walk down to the aquarium would be for my now 3 year old hip. Hip 1 was beaming with excitement whilst on the train, taking in every tiny detail, and yelling out 'bridge', 'train', 'train track', 'station' etc to the amusement / annoyance of the other passengers. And even getting off the train, travelling up the very huge escalators, putting the ticket into the machine, and walking down past trams, cars, and hords of people, was a brilliant experience for my little Hip 1. No, he does not lead a sheltered life (well I didn't think so), but it is just a sign of the times that our Hips get ferried around from A to B by car, and we forget about the simple joys of getting on a train etc. We can't forget that the journey itself is part of the experience, and those little things we take for granted are such a huge learning experience for our little Hips.

Mmmm, lecture over, back to the Aquarium...oh and what a fabulous place that is. As soon as you enter, you see the beautiful penguins. Having had the absolute good fortune of being 'sent' to Antarctica for work (was that real or did I dream that?), I just adore penguins. Hip 1 so its seems adores them too. He had a plastic shark in his hand (the new uber obsession thanks to Nemo), and as he was leaning against the window to the penguins, they were all diving to try and 'eat' his shark. Hip 1 was in his element. But his excitement grew even more when entering the 'Sharks Alive' section. Wow, he was running around from shark to shark, making shark noises, and loving it. One big tip - do not try to get your child to move away from the sharks and have a sandwich. Big mistake, and huge tantrum! The kind of tantrum where everyone looks at you and says 'oh, my kids would never have a tantrum like that' etc. So all up, Aquarium big tick. It can be a bit pricy, so the annual family pass is recommended, especially as I know that Hip 1 will drag Hip hubby there quite a number of times, even if just for the train ride. Hip 2 is probably still a bit young, but it won't take too long.

Myself, Hip hubby, and the 2 Hips, decided, alongside the rest of Melbourne to spend the public holiday morning at the Melbourne zoo, and see if we could see Mali the baby elephant. Yes, Melbourne, you gave us a glorious winters day, and Hip 1, again in his element, did a lot of running all around the zoo. The zoo is great, because you can, within reason, let the Hips run ahead a little bit, but like previously mentioned, should your Hip be a relatively new walker/runner, those harnesses aren't a bad idea, especially if they're one with an animal on the back, which ties nicely with the zoo. Luckily Hip 1 did run, as we got to the elephants area alongside everyone else looking for Mali, however Hip 1 ran straight past and round the back of the elephant enclosure which is where Mali was, and we pretty much had a private viewing. Good thinking Hip 1. And then onto the new Seal centre, which once again, for Hip 1 was brilliant. Its a brand new indoor centre, and really cleverly put together. Good one Melbourne zoo! Yes, again, it can be pricy, but the zoo pass is brilliant as you get entry into Werribee and Healesville Zoos as well. Oh, and even better, you can bring your own picnic to keep costs down and have lunch sorrounded by all the animals (sort of).

Oh, and finally, last weekend, we nipped up to Woodend (a fave Sunday drive) to support the first Sugar and Spice childrens Market, which was fabulous, and to go and see the very clever Natasha at her very first market with Piper and Lily - beautiful handmade kids clothes. Hip 2 has the fabulous reversible double chocolate brown vest. Love it. I bought a brilliant Hobby Horse from Bursaria - again to encourage my Hips to get out and about. Oh and if you are up in Woodend with the Hips, you cannot fail to go to the brand new childrens playground. Think we were in ther for an hour all up!

So once again, lots of being out and about with the Hips. More on this to come at a later date, and as I have a few friends overseas right now with their hips, and I might beg/bribe them to do a 'guest blog' on that all important and exciting travelling with the hips. Watch this space.

Rainy days, rescues from bouncy castles, and Hip 1 turns 3...

Well, today my little Hip 1 turned 3. How quickly those years fly by. People tell you that all the time and when the littlies are tiny, you can't imagine it,...but really, I now see how it all flashes by..scarily. And another scary event today was rescuing Hip 1 from the top of the bouncy castle when he suddenly got a case of vertigo. What about me and my vertigo. Thats the thing about being a mum, you just have to quash those fears to rescue the little Hips whose fears seem so much bigger.

So this week has been all about being out and about in playcentres and due to the volatile Melbourne weather (oh, and how we love that), playcentres were the place myself and the Hips were to play this week. There are two within a few km's of my house; Tumbles Playhouse, which is always a crowd pleaser, and Kidz Playshack. Today we were in the later, and Hip 1 LOVED it. What paradise it must be for a very energetic now 3 year old, who just loves to run, jump and chase after the even bigger kids. And what a lovely way for me to have a good natter and skinny latte with a good friend whilst our Hips run wild. Love it.

It was all a lot of fun until Hip 2 decided to be sick everywhere. Time and time again I have to remind myself, but never actually do it...always put a change of clothes in the back of the car! And wipes, heaps of wipes or a big muslin wrap / terry toweling nappy. Perfect for mopping up those inevitable spills or vomit!

Something I never forget is my trusty b.box - I love it, so practical and hip looking. Basically a plastic nappy wallet that fits 2 nappys, wipes, and a change mat, and its such a good size, you can just slip it into your handbag, glove box or pram. This was something that was an absolute must whilst travelling - especially when on the plane. So easy, and I highly recommend it.

A few days ago, my mum friends and I were discussing the pros and cons of child harnesses. You know, those 'reins' that were all the fashion in the 70's, and growing up we all swore we would never torture our children by making them wear one. That is, at least, until you have a toddler that loves to run. Oh, and we all know how my Hip 1 loves to run. Yes, Hip 1 is a bit old for one now, but I have come accross some fabulous ones that are just like little kiddy backpacks (in fabulous designs) and then if you need to, you can add a 'lead' to it. There is of course the fun animal Goldbug versions, but the ones I have seen are in the UK and I am trying my hardest to get them over here. Watch this space.

Back to Hip 1's birthday. His best present was the smallest present, a tiny British Airways concorde that happens to make an excruciatingly annoying noise . The scooter that I bought for him and convinced myself was 'oh so right', hasn't even had a look in. And Hip 1 is safely tucked up in bed with the concorde safely tucked in next to him!

Tomorrow we are paying a visit to see the sharks at the Aquarium. Sharks are the latest 'best thing in the world' for Hip 1, so should be a big hit, as I am sure will be the train ride into town. The joys of being out and about with the kids...more on that later.

My hip new enterprise, and autumn strolls with the hips...

Gosh, well it has been a while. Things have been busy in the world of the hip traveller. No, we've not been travelling, just out and about doing everyday things, which is alot when you've got Hip 1 and Hip 2 to entertain.

Alongside the normal day to day running of the hip household, I am actually working on creating 'the little hip traveller' into a whole new way. All those fab products that I mentioned in this blog (well, that I promised that I would tell you about)...all those tips and trips which I wanted to pass onto you all...well, I am going to bring them all together and share them with you in an exciting and brand new enterprise. Yes, it is pretty exciting for me, but all I can say at this stage is watch this space. All will be revealed and I shall certainly try not to leave it too long.

Now, having recently been walking to lots of parks and playgrounds making the most of this (mostly) fabulous Autumn weather, I think its time to get Hip 1 under control. Let me explain. Hip 1 loves to run off and has no desire to listen to me when I say 'do not run in front of the very fast bus/car/swing/seesaw/football' etc. Hip 2 is still crawling, so it is essential to have the 'Phil n Ted' pram with me at all times. Great, it has 2 seats, but really, Hip 1 cannot be sitting in the pram for ever. Buggy boards...tell me. Do they work and are they worth it? Or is there any other way of 'restraining' him? Yes, boys will be boys, but still. Hip 1 is about to have a birthday and we have just bought a fabulous hip mini micro scooter. Perhaps that will do the trick, or will I now need a scooter myself to keep up with Hip 1?

Oh, and one last thing, whilst I am on those Autumn strolls, myself and the Hips love to pop in to a local kid friendly cafe for a quick babycino and skinny latte. I personally am loving Little Eats - just pop on to get great tips on kids friendly cafes in Melbourne. What a fab idea.

Anyway, time to go back and work on that hip enterprise of mine. If you want to check out what I am working on, why not follow my blog. Or alternatively, if you have any suggestions on how to keep Hip 1 from running off, please let me know...

Home sweet home and huge jet leg!

Well, myself, the hubby, and the 2 hips made it home. So lovely to be home, so much space, secure garden, familiar toys and little play mates that we haven't seen for a while everywhere keen to play again.

Yes, its fab to be back, but one thing that is still lingering on is the 'jet lag'. Oh and how torturous it really is...hips go to bed at 7pm, great. Hips wake up at 10pm, great. Hips go to sleep at 2am...GREAT! And then they don't want to wake up in the morning. Joy oh joy. Me and hubby are stressed, and I think our jet lag is just building up into a big heap and will erupt soon! People have often asked...how do you travel with kids, how do they respond to jet lag etc etc. Well, I don't think I have the answer, however I do think you have to get the hips back into the swing of things as soon as possible. Wake them up in the morning, have a normal day, encourage a lunch time nap, and then bedtime as normal time. Remember to tell them that it is night time still and they need to sleep and yes, my hips don't understand that, but reiterate the point anyway. We have been home for 4 nights now, and each night the 'awake time' has been less and less, and hopefully should get back to normal soon, but I have been asking myself in the middle of the night ' was it all worth it'. Yes, well it was, but you just have to remember and be sympathetic that its really difficult for the hips to get back into normal day to day hip world. Perhaps a break in the trip is worth it, or perhaps its just as well to get it all out of the way in one go. Any other tips, why not leave a comment...cos I don't think its all over yet!

Once jet lag is out of the way, I shall be back to do a round up of my fab findings and provide some more hopefully useful tips for travelling with the 'hips'.