the chicken, the egg, and the fox

Today, left hip, right hip and I decided to rug ourselves up once again, and head out for a good old walk down to the local cafe for a lovely babycino (oh and a dotty cookie of course). Nothing too unusual about that at all, in fact we do it quite often, and its lovely just to get out and about and explore, even though it is a rather wild and windy day today. But on our way home we walked past a house with a brand new sparkling chicken shed in the front garden and 3 lovely fat chickens parading around much to the absolute delight of my two delighted hips. Now we live fairly inner cityish, so for us, this is a real novelty especially on a walk down to get a coffee fix (my coffee fix!) Even better, left hip was invited to go and meet popcorn, KF, and wings, and he was so happy dancing around with the 3 chooks, and harrassing them ever so slightly with the plastic ‘fox’ that now has to go everywhere with him (yes, we are finally over sharks, and have now moved onto foxes!)....it got me thinking. Should we get a pet, and what should we get? Chickens, a cat, a dog, a fish...my hubby wants a stick insect but I am not keen on encouraging insects into my house. Any suggestions?

What I absolutely know for sure is a visit to Collingwood childrens farm is most definitely on the cards very soon. Where better to take the hips for some good fresh air, and a chance to milk the cows, and pat the horses, and have a great coffee fix at the farm cafe? More on that to come soon.

When we finally got home (its amazing how a short walk can really take so long with the hips in tow), it seemed only fitting to make one of my childhood favourites. Coming from the UK, it was known to me as eggy bread. I’m not certain its the same as french toast (in fact would say its not, but some would argue this), but to me its just good old eggy bread. Yum!

Give it a whirl - its fab:

You'll need:

4 slices of bread

Butter

Salt and pepper

3 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper

Cut the bread into quarters

Soak bread into the egg mixture and coat well

Heat a bit of butter in a frying pan, and fry the soaked bread until golden brown, turning over once

Add any excess egg mixture whilst frying

And eat.

I urge you to do this for your little hips now - they'll love it!

Don't we just love those chickens - what a fun day we've had. Roast chicken tonight anyone??? (sob, sob)

travelling 'alone' with a very little 'hip' from oz to the uk...yikes!

Travelling on that ridiculously long crazy flight from Australia to the UK is hard enough as a fully grown adult. Okay, so, the big decisions are; which film to watch, should you have another g&t, or perhaps a snooze...or should be really daring and just maybe, just that one more time, have another look at the inflight map AGAIN only 2 minutes since you last looked, and then find you still haven't left Australia...blimey! okay, it is really long and tedious. BUT when travelling with 'hips',...well you can forget the films/g&t/food/snooze/even the inflight map. And to add to that, try travelling ALONE with kids for 24 hours, and you'll be thinking that you won't even be able to go to the loo! Or can you? I travelled back to the UK by myself when my 'left' hip was just 6 months old, and to be totally honest, having experienced it since with both 'left' and 'right' hip, it was quite successful. My good friend Jo, has recently experienced the same journey, and she has kindly offered to share her 'journey' and very very handy tips with us. So here goes...Enjoy.

"Hubby and I are one of the many, many expat families living it up in Oz, so of course like many, when the kids start coming so too do the long trips ‘home’!.

My little hip is just eight months and as it was only the Nannies that had met her we thought it only fair to take her back to the UK to meet the Granddads! With money and work commitments in mind we agreed that it would be just hip and myself going when hip was 6 months (I must have been caught in a weak moment) and so began the months of trepidation about the trip (from me – hubby was planning how much rugby and beer he would consume in the month we were gone!) began. What was I going to do by myself, what if she cried the whole way, what if the trip mucked up her routine which I had worked so hard to develop! A few looked at me as if I was mad to tackle this on my own but most of my friends who had done the same said it was the best time to travel with a baby – it would be fine! Of course in my head it was going to be hell on earth – but it wasn’t, it was fine, yes we were tired, no hip’s routine wasn’t blown, we survived and are richer for it!

So on reflection what words of wisdom would I pass onto the next person………

I packed too much hand luggage on the way over – I didn’t really need the toys I packed, hip was just as happy playing with the plastic cup, the safety card and the airline gave out toys too.

One of the best things I had with me (not originally packed for this purpose!) was the neck pillow (one of the squidgy ones) When hip was having her solids I sat her on the seat and I knelt on the floor in front and the neck pillow was a great was to keep her propped up on the seat and stop her slumping or falling froward.

I took a dark pashmina, which was a great blanket for both of us but also light weight enough to drape over the bassinet to keep hip in the dark. I anchored it over the ‘wall’ and used the corner of the TV screen and used took pegs to weight it down so it didn’t slip off. It also provided good coverage for breastfeeding too.

I dressed 'hip' in ‘baby grows’ for the whole trip, so didn’t have to worry about losing socks, tops etc!

I accepted any and all offers for help! Several other passengers from the rows behind me took 'Hip' once they had had their food and I was getting mine so I could eat – and pee!! The stewards were more helpful on some legs of the flight but not so interested on others – don’t rely on them, but do smile nicely at your fellow passengers! And of course during service the stewards are busy anyway.

When I check in I requested my baggage be labelled priority so it came off first at the other end– the last thing you want to do when you arrive is be waiting for the last bag off! This is also a time to utilise your fellow passengers – it is pretty hard to lug a huge case off while hip is in the Baby Bjorn!

Speak of the Baby Bjorn – a god send for hands free travel.

The bassinet – well when 'Hip' was allowed to be in it (i.e. when the seatbelt sign was off) she slept fine – but even thought I pretended to be asleep when the sign came on they made a point of waking me to remove her. In the end I didn’t bother putting her in it at all and just let her sleep on me rather than disturbing her as it woke her up – but it was handy storage if nothing else – and you get the good seats so I will definitely book it again.

Once we were there, I followed 'Hips' home routine in local time and she didn’t suffer any crazy midnight waking – in fact she fared far better than me both going there and coming back. I took a blackout blind wherever I went which was a fantastic investment, especially for the UK where it stays light until 11pm in the summer!

I tried not to muck 'Hips' routine up more than 2 days in a row, so she didn’t get over tired and handled being handled very well!

These are the main tips I can think of that really helped me. But in the wise words of my good friend Jo “expect the worst, hope for the best” The trip was long, we were tired, but getting to introduce 'Hip' to the family was worth every moment of willing the time to go faster! Next time hubby will be joining me as 'Hip' will be mobile but it is true, 6 months is a good age to take them."H

the hip bits from the kids in style show...

This week, I visited the very hip and happening Kids In Style trade show in Melbourne. Kids In Style, part of the Life In Style show, is a trade only event where new kids brands are launched and. A really fun and funky event to visit. There's lots of people to chat to and deals to be done, and some really hip products to be found.

As promised here are a few of exciting links to the bits and bobs that I discovered there;

Pack your bags or lunch using the fabulous and hugely popular Bobble Art collection - there's a whole load of new exciting designs. We rate them and the hips really really rate them.

Need a funky hat that actually stays on your little hips head? Then look now further than Blue Racoon and Olli&pop.

Shoes. Oh why don't they make these in our size. Both Chook Leaf and Walnut have come up with a fab new collection again. Love them, want them, need them...

Out and about, need a nappy change... how about using lima bean baby change wallets. They use beautiful fabrics and won't look out of place in your handbag.

Oh, love these swings. Move over big ugly plastic swing - holmsater is a beautiful collection that will look wonderful in your back garden.

Balance bikes - don't we just love them, don't the little hips love them even more? Live, play, create and Wishbone design studio have some beautiful and very trendy balance bikes and accessories, plus a few more exciting creations coming up very soon.

For those that like to eat out on the move (like the little hip travellers that we know and love), the very exciting eco product Belkiz Feedaway is a very funky feeding chair. Its lightweight, flat packed, foldable and recyclable, and ideal for a holiday, plus it just looks brilliant.

Wow, and when you get home at the end of a long day of being out and about with the kids, let the hips have a play in their own just amazing (why doesn't our house look like this) doll's house from world famous Swedish architect Lundby Stockholm. Or oh my word, you can now get some of the fabulous European wooden toys over here - check out the beautifully crafted German toys avaliable through dandelion kids.

Afterwards, tuck up your very sleepy hips into ultra modern and uber cool cots from ubabub. For travelling or living with the hips in warmer climes, hot sticky nights are always a problem. The clever bods behind aden + anais have made what we should have thought about ages ago. Sleeping sacks made out of muslin, and they are just gorgeous.

Have a look...go on.

are we nearly there yet...hip tips for the little hips.

Okay, so picture this...you are in the car, or at the airport, or, well anywhere really, and sure enough, without fail, you’ll get the ‘are we nearly there yet’ or ‘I’m bored’. Well, we, at ‘the little hip traveller’ have compiled a few fun and hip ways to prevent the inevitable happening...ranging from some super high tech fancy things, to the old school faves...

So, those lucky people out there with the iphone or ipad - why not hand them over to the hips (go on, you know you can) and for a few gold coins or perhaps even nothing at all, you can get the following entertainment happening...and all of a sudden, hey presto, you have some very happy little ‘hips’! Hoorah!

So, what do we have? Well, there’s the very cool Peekaboo app, which is a fun barn adventure for your little hips and you too. The little animals pop out and baa and moo appropriately, and whilst the hips peak behind the barn doors, they also, without realising, learn the names, sounds and habitats of these little farm yard creatures - how clever!

Or there’s the old favourites, Old Macdonald, Itsy Bitsy Spider or The Wheels on the Bus. Itsy Bitsy Spider has a little fly that teaches your little hips about nature and the environment, or you can create your own version of the songs with your child! How cool.

There is also the very amusing Balloonimals - You simply blow into the microphone and the Balloon animals blow up into different shaped animals. Remember how much the kids like those balloon magic people at parties and fairs. Now they can build dinosaurs, fish, ducks and control it all themselves! Clever...

And then there is the mother of them all - Talking Carl. Now Carl is so much fun and guaranteed to reduce boredom to even the youngest little ‘hip’ - if you tickle carl, he rolls around laughing, poke him he says ‘ouch’ and he will copy all you say in a very silly high pitched voice. Believe me, Talking Carl is a hit!

And finally, available only overseas at present is an app called Bubble Wrap - basically a very annoying and frighteningly addictive sheet of bubble wrap which you just pop and pop and pop....mmmmm!

And then of course, for those of us who don’t have those modern luxuries, there’s the following list of things to try;

I - Spy: The old fave but you can guarantee it will pop up on some journey somewhere.

Simon Says: Perhaps a little bit restrictive in the car or plane, but still fun anyway, and you can look very silly infront of all those others who are busy trying to ignore you! Respect for Simon I say.

Count the cows/sheep/kangaroos: Perhaps best not really played in the plane, but if you are out in the country or the bush. Give yourself a time limit and count the number of cows/sheep/kangaroos etc on your side of the road, and the highest score is the winner.

Colours: Pick a colour, and see how many things in that colour you can see in a time limit ie red car, red wine, red suitcase etc. Mmmm, the highest score wins.

Memory: Someone starts ‘In my suitcase, I packed...a banana’. The next person then says, ‘in my suitcase, I packed, a toothbrush, and a banana’, and then the next person has to add something else, and you just keep on going...good for the old brain cells.

Neighbours: Everyone looks out of the car window and chooses a person. They need to then decide what kind of a person they are - job, personality, life etc.. Become a spy by making sure that person doesn’t see you talking about them! What fun!

And then, if that all gets too much (or develops into an argument or two), get the portable DVD player out!

Any other tips...why don’t you just let us know so we can add them to the list. There surely are plenty more out there...

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.