Summer 20122013

Welcome to the Summer issue of the Alphabet Street mini mag I have to say this Christmas has snuck up on me too quickly It only seemed like yesterday that we started planning our Christmas promotions and now we are at the end with Christmas only days away This mini mag has been an absolute pleasure for me working with so many talented people This issue we completed a full fashion shoot with the assistance of the very talented Liat Biderovsky from Lee Bird Photography and the ever so clever Belinda Ramanauskas from Styled by Belle We hope you love it as much as we do This issue is jam packed full of lovely from Summer fashion to Christmas Gifts ideas and we canrsquot forget activities to schedule in the diaries over the Summer holidays Thanks to all our contributors this month including All Abroad Bay Melbourne Mamma and Indispensable Me This will be the last mini mag for 2012 and look forward to some wonderful things happening with Alphabet Street in 2013 Penny Price OWNER

3

COVER Our Model Ayla

wears Oobi Baby amp Kids Smock Red Dot Dress

Alphabet Street Privacy Statement This issue of the Alphabet Street Mini Mag may contain offers or competitions that require you to provide information about yourself if you choose to take part in If you provide information about yourself including email address Alphabet Street will use this information to provide you will the products and services you have requested We will not onsell you details to a third party and will used for our publication only

Editorial Penny Price

All editorial and advertising

enquiries

einfoalphabetstreetcomau

ABN 89826197104

Photography Lee Bird

Photography

Mini Mag wwwalphabetstreetcomau

Lee is an accomplished award winning photographer who specialises in fine art portrait photography According to her wonderful clients who she prefers to call her muses Lee is able to somehow capture the essence of her muses in the images she takes The essence of childhood innocence family joy laughter and giggles wwwleebirdphotographycomau

Belinda Ramanauskas (ldquoBellerdquo) is the creative director behind Styled By Belle With a background in strategic marketing and incentives she has a passion for styling and creating WOW factor events Belinda is mum to two boys Aidan and Lucas and wife to former AFL player Adam Tracey is mum of two owner of Melbourne Mamma and a self

confessed shop-a-holic Melbourne Mamma is a guide to whatrsquos hot and where to shop for mums babies and kids

Rachael Spencer-Smith is owner of All Abroad Baby a place that brings together shopping parenting and travel inspiration for mums of little ones

4

COVER Our Model Ayla

wears Oobi Baby amp Kids Smock Red Dot Dress

Alphabet Street Privacy Statement This issue of the Alphabet Street Mini Mag may contain offers or competitions that require you to provide information about yourself if you choose to take part in If you provide information about yourself including email address Alphabet Street will use this information to provide you will the products and services you have requested We will not onsell you details to a third party and will used for our publication only

Editorial Penny Price

All editorial and advertising

enquiries

einfoalphabetstreetcomau

ABN 89826197104

Photography Lee Bird

Photography

Mini Mag wwwalphabetstreetcomau

Lee is an accomplished award winning photographer who specialises in fine art portrait photography According to her wonderful clients who she prefers to call her muses Lee is able to somehow capture the essence of her muses in the images she takes The essence of childhood innocence family joy laughter and giggles wwwleebirdphotographycomau

Belinda Ramanauskas (ldquoBellerdquo) is the creative director behind Styled By Belle With a background in strategic marketing and incentives she has a passion for styling and creating WOW factor events Belinda is mum to two boys Aidan and Lucas and wife to former AFL player Adam Tracey is mum of two owner of Melbourne Mamma and a self

confessed shop-a-holic Melbourne Mamma is a guide to whatrsquos hot and where to shop for mums babies and kids

Rachael Spencer-Smith is owner of All Abroad Baby a place that brings together shopping parenting and travel inspiration for mums of little ones

4

5

7 Deck the Halls

9 The A-Z of Christmas

25 All I want for Christmas

The Anticipation of Christmas

35 Summer Means

39 Summer Styling

58 Summer Memories

65 Off the Beaten Track

with little ones 68 Holiday Happenings

30

Deck the Halls This Christmas with this wonderful selection

of Christmas Decor

1 Ruby Victoria Letterpressamp

Printmaking Christmas Garland RRP

$24 2 LOVE MAE Merry Christmas

Banner RRP $7995 3 OXFAM Shop

Capiz Christmas decoration from the

Philippines RRP $1495 4 Christmas

Wreath- Tiges and Wience RRP $40

5 Robert Gordon Australia Wooden

Advent Calendar RRP $8995 6 Cradle

Rock Santa Sacks Stripey Reindeer

RRP $ 3995

7

wwwminifashionistacomau

Author event Author Esmeralda Tintner and illustrator Lisa Stewart

Author Esmeralda Tintner and illustrator Lisa Stewart will

be sharing their new version of the enchanting Christmas

time story The Nutcracker

Their book is currently a work in progress and they will

be reading performing and discussing how a picture

book is created

A miniature orchestra will also play Tchaikovskyrsquos

delightful music Free but bookings are essential

Phone 9481 8811

WHEN Saturday December 22nd at 2pm

WHERE The Childrenrsquos Bookshop- 6 Hannah Street

Beecroft

10

A special Christmas storytime at The Childrenrsquos Bookshop

Bunnings DIY Santa Workshops Bunnings have free childrens craft every Saturday amp Sunday from 12pm

Through out December the craft will be all based around Christmas

WHEN 15th 16th 22nd amp 23rd December

WHERE Bunnings Warehouse

Breakfast with Santa Rouse Hill Town Centre Enjoy Breakfast with Santa in the Food Terrace every Saturday

during December

Every child that attends will enjoy free entertainment from Santas

Elves and also receive a free gift

This is a free event with Santa roving the Food Terrace between

8am and 9am then returning to his Sleigh for Santa Photos

Featuring entertainment from Santas uni cycling Elf

WHEN Saturday 22nd December 8am-9am

WHERE Rouse Hill Town Centre

Bella Vista Farm Carols by Candlelight and Christmas Markets

Christmas in the Hills With the help of St Paulrsquos Castle Hill St Bernadettes and

Wesley Uniting you will be able to enjoy a wonderful

celebration this Christmas

Bella Vista Farm gates will open from 3pm with

wonderful games for the children as well as a good

variety of markets both food and craft for all to enjoy

Christmas Kid Zone Chatswood Chase This Christmas let your little elves join Mrs Claus and the Christmas Elf to

decorate their very own gingerbread cookie PLUS the Fairy Face Painter

and Balloon Bender Clown will be there too

This complimentary activity for the kids is a one day only event on level 2 at

Chatswood

WHEN Thursday 20th December 2012 from 1030am - 130pm

WHERE Chatswood Chase- Level 2 near Eckersleys

Charity K-Mart Wishing Tree Appeal

Give to those less fortunate than ourselves this Christmas with a charity of

your choice

The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal is Australiarsquos largest Christmas gift appeal

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Australians the Appeal has collected

more than 5 million gifts for people in need over the past 24 years

WHEN From the 14th November until Christmas Eve

WHERE Find your local K-mart Wishing Tree

11

There will be Sheep shearing from 3pm as well as an animal farm a real Manger Santa Clause

and some of the NSW Mounted Police will be joining us The children can also enjoy pony rides

and the Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne will be conducting tours of the historic farmhouse

So many wonderful things to help make Christmas a lot of fun

WHEN Wednesday 19th December 7pm

WHERE Bella Vista Farm- Cnr Norwest Blvd and Elizabeth MacArthur Drive Bella Vista

Bella Vista Farm Carols by Candlelight and Christmas Markets

Christmas in the Hills With the help of St Paulrsquos Castle Hill St Bernadettes and

Wesley Uniting you will be able to enjoy a wonderful

celebration this Christmas

Bella Vista Farm gates will open from 3pm with

wonderful games for the children as well as a good

variety of markets both food and craft for all to enjoy

Christmas Kid Zone Chatswood Chase This Christmas let your little elves join Mrs Claus and the Christmas Elf to

decorate their very own gingerbread cookie PLUS the Fairy Face Painter

and Balloon Bender Clown will be there too

This complimentary activity for the kids is a one day only event on level 2 at

Chatswood

WHEN Thursday 20th December 2012 from 1030am - 130pm

WHERE Chatswood Chase- Level 2 near Eckersleys

Charity K-Mart Wishing Tree Appeal

Give to those less fortunate than ourselves this Christmas with a charity of

your choice

The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal is Australiarsquos largest Christmas gift appeal

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Australians the Appeal has collected

more than 5 million gifts for people in need over the past 24 years

WHEN From the 14th November until Christmas Eve

WHERE Find your local K-mart Wishing Tree

11

There will be Sheep shearing from 3pm as well as an animal farm a real Manger Santa Clause

and some of the NSW Mounted Police will be joining us The children can also enjoy pony rides

and the Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne will be conducting tours of the historic farmhouse

So many wonderful things to help make Christmas a lot of fun

WHEN Wednesday 19th December 7pm

WHERE Bella Vista Farm- Cnr Norwest Blvd and Elizabeth MacArthur Drive Bella Vista

Carols in the Park-North Ryde

Join the Christmas Festivities bring your picnic to the park and sing along with the orchestra

and choir

WHEN 23rd December 7pm until dusk

WHERE Pioneers Memorial park

An exciting Christmas celebration for the local community

particularly families with young childrenHeld in Pindari Park

Pindari Street North Ryde

Free activities typically include Sausage sizzle and drinks

GLO candles Carol singing program Bible message Santa

Claus with lollies for the children

WHEN Tuesday 18th December 645pm-9pm

WHERE Pindari Park Pindari Street North Ryde

Carols on Norton and Lantern Parade

Darling Harbour Santa Fest Hold on to your Santa hat as the festive fun continues until 24

December with A Capella Carols by the Tree Harbourside

Christmas Fireworks Christmas Karaoke and special

performances under the stars by the Sydney Youth Orchestra

12

WHEN amp WHERE Thursday 20 December 7pm - 9pm -A Capella

Carols

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre forecourt

Friday 21 December 7pm - 9pm -Karaoke Carols by the Tree

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre forecourt

Saturday 22 December 7pm - 9pm- Karaoke Carols by the Tree

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre forecourt

Saturday 22 December 9pm Harbourside Christmas fireworks

Cockle Bay

Sunday 23 December 7pm - 9pm A Capella Carols

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre forecourt

Monday 24 December 7pm - 9pm Christmas Eve Carols by the

Tree Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre forecourt

Monday 24 December 9 pm Christmas Fireworks Cockle Bay

Dee Why Christmas by the Beach Christmas by the Beach will return to Dee Why on Sunday 23 December

Come along to enjoy the festivities and meet a very special guest Santa Claus

All day markets will run on The Strand from 9am-9pm A Christmas concert will be staged at 5pm

and see Santa on a jet ski at 545pm

WHEN Sunday 23rd December

WHERE Dee Why Beach

David Jones- The Magic Cave

The enchanted world of The Magic Cave is where Santa

and his friends get ready for Christmas Meet Santa

David the Talking Tree and watch the elves busily prepare

for Christmas Day

WHEN From Saturday 10 November until Christmas Eve

WHERE David Jones - 6th floor Elizabeth Street store

13

David Jones- Christmas Windows Christmas carols and songs have been handed

down from generation to generation David

Jones pairs these carols and songs with

traditional marionette puppetry which like us

have a long and well-loved heritage

The puppet maker brings these carols and

songs to life creating magical theatre that

kindles the imagination of young ones and

brings back fond childhood memories

WHEN Tuesday 6 November until Tuesday 25

December

WHERE David Jones - Elizabeth Street store

EQ Christmas Markets EQ is very excited to welcome back the EQ Christmas Markets

This year we will be holding these festive markets in the week leading up to Christmas

WHEN Wednesday 19 December 10am ndash 3pm

Saturday 22 December 10am ndash 3pm

Sunday 23 December 10am ndash 3pm

WHERE EQ Moore Park-Lang Rd Moore Park

Fun Festive Party Join the Woollahra Library amp Information Service for a Festive Fun Party at the

Watsons Bay Double Bay and Paddington Libraries

The party is suitable for Children aged 7 years and over and involves the following

fun activtites

Culinary creations - making snowmen from marshmallows or creating sugar mice

from icing

Designing your own card for someone special

Taking home a your free festive activity booklet

The party is free with food and refreshements Bookings are essential Read more

WHEN amp WHERE Watsons Bay Library 17th Dec 2012 1030am

Double Bay Library 18th Dec 2012 1030am

Paddington Library 19th Dec 2012 1030am

Greenwich Christmas Carols Sing in your loudest voice at this years Greenwich Christmas Carols

Entertainment starts at 6pm with carols underway at 645pmSausage

Sizzle Drinks and glow sticks available for purchase on the night

All funds raised go to Youth of the Streets

WHEN Monday 17th December 6pm

WHERE Leemon Reserve Robert St Greenwich

14

Five Dock Carols in the Park The Carols in the Park are on again this year at Halliday Park

McGrath Avenue Five Dock on Monday 17 December at

730pm

There are also lots of exciting surprises planned for the

evening - who knows who may drop in

Food and refreshments will be available from 6pm This is an

alcohol free venue

WHEN Monday 17th December 730pm

WHERE Halliday Park McGrath Ave Five Dock

Dee Why Christmas by the Beach Christmas by the Beach will return to Dee Why on Sunday 23 December

Come along to enjoy the festivities and meet a very special guest Santa Claus

All day markets will run on The Strand from 9am-9pm A Christmas concert will be staged at 5pm

and see Santa on a jet ski at 545pm

WHEN Sunday 23rd December

WHERE Dee Why Beach

David Jones- The Magic Cave

The enchanted world of The Magic Cave is where Santa

and his friends get ready for Christmas Meet Santa

David the Talking Tree and watch the elves busily prepare

for Christmas Day

WHEN From Saturday 10 November until Christmas Eve

WHERE David Jones - 6th floor Elizabeth Street store

13

David Jones- Christmas Windows Christmas carols and songs have been handed

down from generation to generation David

Jones pairs these carols and songs with

traditional marionette puppetry which like us

have a long and well-loved heritage

The puppet maker brings these carols and

songs to life creating magical theatre that

kindles the imagination of young ones and

brings back fond childhood memories

WHEN Tuesday 6 November until Tuesday 25

December

WHERE David Jones - Elizabeth Street store

EQ Christmas Markets EQ is very excited to welcome back the EQ Christmas Markets

This year we will be holding these festive markets in the week leading up to Christmas

WHEN Wednesday 19 December 10am ndash 3pm

Saturday 22 December 10am ndash 3pm

Sunday 23 December 10am ndash 3pm

WHERE EQ Moore Park-Lang Rd Moore Park

Fun Festive Party Join the Woollahra Library amp Information Service for a Festive Fun Party at the

Watsons Bay Double Bay and Paddington Libraries

The party is suitable for Children aged 7 years and over and involves the following

fun activtites

Culinary creations - making snowmen from marshmallows or creating sugar mice

from icing

Designing your own card for someone special

Taking home a your free festive activity booklet

The party is free with food and refreshements Bookings are essential Read more

WHEN amp WHERE Watsons Bay Library 17th Dec 2012 1030am

Double Bay Library 18th Dec 2012 1030am

Paddington Library 19th Dec 2012 1030am

Greenwich Christmas Carols Sing in your loudest voice at this years Greenwich Christmas Carols

Entertainment starts at 6pm with carols underway at 645pmSausage

Sizzle Drinks and glow sticks available for purchase on the night

All funds raised go to Youth of the Streets

WHEN Monday 17th December 6pm

WHERE Leemon Reserve Robert St Greenwich

14

Five Dock Carols in the Park The Carols in the Park are on again this year at Halliday Park

McGrath Avenue Five Dock on Monday 17 December at

730pm

There are also lots of exciting surprises planned for the

evening - who knows who may drop in

Food and refreshments will be available from 6pm This is an

alcohol free venue

WHEN Monday 17th December 730pm

WHERE Halliday Park McGrath Ave Five Dock

EQ Christmas Markets EQ is very excited to welcome back the EQ Christmas Markets

This year we will be holding these festive markets in the week leading up to Christmas

WHEN Wednesday 19 December 10am ndash 3pm

Saturday 22 December 10am ndash 3pm

Sunday 23 December 10am ndash 3pm

WHERE EQ Moore Park-Lang Rd Moore Park

Fun Festive Party Join the Woollahra Library amp Information Service for a Festive Fun Party at the

Watsons Bay Double Bay and Paddington Libraries

The party is suitable for Children aged 7 years and over and involves the following

fun activtites

Culinary creations - making snowmen from marshmallows or creating sugar mice

from icing

Designing your own card for someone special

Taking home a your free festive activity booklet

The party is free with food and refreshements Bookings are essential Read more

WHEN amp WHERE Watsons Bay Library 17th Dec 2012 1030am

Double Bay Library 18th Dec 2012 1030am

Paddington Library 19th Dec 2012 1030am

Greenwich Christmas Carols Sing in your loudest voice at this years Greenwich Christmas Carols

Entertainment starts at 6pm with carols underway at 645pmSausage

Sizzle Drinks and glow sticks available for purchase on the night

All funds raised go to Youth of the Streets

WHEN Monday 17th December 6pm

WHERE Leemon Reserve Robert St Greenwich

14

Five Dock Carols in the Park The Carols in the Park are on again this year at Halliday Park

McGrath Avenue Five Dock on Monday 17 December at

730pm

There are also lots of exciting surprises planned for the

evening - who knows who may drop in

Food and refreshments will be available from 6pm This is an

alcohol free venue

WHEN Monday 17th December 730pm

WHERE Halliday Park McGrath Ave Five Dock

Harbourside Snowglobe Step inside Harboursidersquos inflatable Snowglobe this

summer and into your own winter wonderland

Make a snowstorm blizzard or flurry with piles of super

light and fluffy artificial snow and experience the magic

merriment and romance of a white festive season

A totally unique experience for everyone so bring your

family and friends and capture the moment

Donrsquot miss this amazing experience at Level 2

Harbourside Shopping Centre

WHEN Sunday 16 December 3pm ndash 430pm

WHERE The Edge-Fed Square

Illuminations- Sydney Town Hall

15

Golden Turkey Film Festival Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Celebrate the very best of B grade Christmas

movie classics with the free Golden Turkey Film

Festival this December on the Urban Screen on

The Concourse Featuring seven of the best

worst and quirkiest festive movies ever made

yoursquod be a goose to miss out on seeing these

cinematic masterpieces on the giant outdoor

screen

WHEN Thursday 20th December

WHERE The Concourse Chatswood

The city will sparkle this Christmas as its streets and

spaces are adorned with beautiful banners lights and

decorations

The villages will feature decorations on Erskineville

Road Crown Street Redfern Street Darlinghurst Road

and Glebe Point Road and pretty lights at Shannon

Reserve ndash Surry Hills Turruwul Park ndash Rosebery and

Redfern Park Donrsquot miss the whopper of a Christmas

tree at Martin Place and the Sydney Town Hall

projections lighting up every night until Christmas

WHEN 29th November -25th December 830pm-1am

WHERE George Street Sydney

Hersquos the reason for the season Head to a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass or

Christmas day service to listen to the gospel and celebrate the birth of Jesus

Jesus

Kids Christmas Disco Middle Harbour Yacht Club

The kids will love singing and dancing with Bop Till You Drop - there may also

be a visit from Santa Kids Disco is on each month at the Club from 6pm -

8pm Cost is $10 per child (inc drink amp snack) For bookings call the office on

9969 1244

WHEN Friday 21st December 6pm-8pm

WHERE Lower Parriwi Road The Spit Mosman

Luna Park Santa Photos Ditch the queue at the shopping centres for Santa photos and head to

Luna Park instead Get your photo with Santa at Luna Park this Christmas

Every day until 24 December between 12 - 230pm Please note Santa may

need to take a short break during this time

Prices for photos are below

6 x 8 photo = $995

Two 6 x 8 photos = $1695

Two 6 x 8 and two 6 x 4 = $2195

WHEN Every day until 24 December between 12 - 230pm

WHERE Luna Park Milsons Point

Christmas shopping with the kids can be a little tricky so to make it

easier with our Christmas craft activity centre

Kids will have so much fun creating Christmas baubles to put on

the Christmas tree

No bookings required however please note the number of craft

item provided each day is limited

WHEN Wednesday 19 - Friday 21 December 11am-2pm

WHERE Westfield Eastgardens-Level 1 near Myer

16

Kids Christmas Craft Westfield Eastgardens

Myer Santaland

Head to Myerrsquos Santaland where a trip on the Santa express

will be a magical treat for kids (and adults) of all ages Pick

up a golden ticket from the Station Master and ride the train

through the tunnel as the train tours the Santaland village

WHEN Santaland will be available until the 24th December

WHERE MYER Sydney

17

Monkey Mania Christmas Disco Kids will love the Christmas themed disco at Monkey Mania

Bankstown this month There will be music and dancing

and prizes for the best dressed Child $10 adult free with

every paying child

WHEN Friday 21st December 6pm-9pm

WHERE Monkey Mania Bankstown- 8 Greenfield Parade

Bankstown

Narabeen Carols by the Lake Carols by the Lake will have Carols BBQ Carols Bags Fresh Coffee and a

visit from Santa The community is encouraged to BYO Picnic and

blanket and to arrive early

The event will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display over

beautiful Narrabeen Lake

Carols by the Lake is free to the public

WHEN Saturday 22nd December 6pm-930pm

WHERE Berry Reserve Narrabeen Lake

Outdoor Cinema at Greenwich

Baths-The Polar Express

Enjoy this gorgeous Christmas Movie- The Polar

Express with the family overlooking Sydneyrsquos

beautiful harbour

There will plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy

including pool inflatables and music

WHEN Friday 21st December from 5pm

WHERE Greenwich Baths

Hersquos the reason for the season Head to a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass or

Christmas day service to listen to the gospel and celebrate the birth of Jesus

Jesus

Kids Christmas Disco Middle Harbour Yacht Club

The kids will love singing and dancing with Bop Till You Drop - there may also

be a visit from Santa Kids Disco is on each month at the Club from 6pm -

8pm Cost is $10 per child (inc drink amp snack) For bookings call the office on

9969 1244

WHEN Friday 21st December 6pm-8pm

WHERE Lower Parriwi Road The Spit Mosman

Luna Park Santa Photos Ditch the queue at the shopping centres for Santa photos and head to

Luna Park instead Get your photo with Santa at Luna Park this Christmas

Every day until 24 December between 12 - 230pm Please note Santa may

need to take a short break during this time

Prices for photos are below

6 x 8 photo = $995

Two 6 x 8 photos = $1695

Two 6 x 8 and two 6 x 4 = $2195

WHEN Every day until 24 December between 12 - 230pm

WHERE Luna Park Milsons Point

Christmas shopping with the kids can be a little tricky so to make it

easier with our Christmas craft activity centre

Kids will have so much fun creating Christmas baubles to put on

the Christmas tree

No bookings required however please note the number of craft

item provided each day is limited

WHEN Wednesday 19 - Friday 21 December 11am-2pm

WHERE Westfield Eastgardens-Level 1 near Myer

16

Kids Christmas Craft Westfield Eastgardens

Myer Santaland

Head to Myerrsquos Santaland where a trip on the Santa express

will be a magical treat for kids (and adults) of all ages Pick

up a golden ticket from the Station Master and ride the train

through the tunnel as the train tours the Santaland village

WHEN Santaland will be available until the 24th December

WHERE MYER Sydney

17

Monkey Mania Christmas Disco Kids will love the Christmas themed disco at Monkey Mania

Bankstown this month There will be music and dancing

and prizes for the best dressed Child $10 adult free with

every paying child

WHEN Friday 21st December 6pm-9pm

WHERE Monkey Mania Bankstown- 8 Greenfield Parade

Bankstown

Narabeen Carols by the Lake Carols by the Lake will have Carols BBQ Carols Bags Fresh Coffee and a

visit from Santa The community is encouraged to BYO Picnic and

blanket and to arrive early

The event will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display over

beautiful Narrabeen Lake

Carols by the Lake is free to the public

WHEN Saturday 22nd December 6pm-930pm

WHERE Berry Reserve Narrabeen Lake

Outdoor Cinema at Greenwich

Baths-The Polar Express

Enjoy this gorgeous Christmas Movie- The Polar

Express with the family overlooking Sydneyrsquos

beautiful harbour

There will plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy

including pool inflatables and music

WHEN Friday 21st December from 5pm

WHERE Greenwich Baths

Myer Santaland

Head to Myerrsquos Santaland where a trip on the Santa express

will be a magical treat for kids (and adults) of all ages Pick

up a golden ticket from the Station Master and ride the train

through the tunnel as the train tours the Santaland village

WHEN Santaland will be available until the 24th December

WHERE MYER Sydney

17

Monkey Mania Christmas Disco Kids will love the Christmas themed disco at Monkey Mania

Bankstown this month There will be music and dancing

and prizes for the best dressed Child $10 adult free with

every paying child

WHEN Friday 21st December 6pm-9pm

WHERE Monkey Mania Bankstown- 8 Greenfield Parade

Bankstown

Narabeen Carols by the Lake Carols by the Lake will have Carols BBQ Carols Bags Fresh Coffee and a

visit from Santa The community is encouraged to BYO Picnic and

blanket and to arrive early

The event will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display over

beautiful Narrabeen Lake

Carols by the Lake is free to the public

WHEN Saturday 22nd December 6pm-930pm

WHERE Berry Reserve Narrabeen Lake

Outdoor Cinema at Greenwich

Baths-The Polar Express

Enjoy this gorgeous Christmas Movie- The Polar

Express with the family overlooking Sydneyrsquos

beautiful harbour

There will plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy

including pool inflatables and music

WHEN Friday 21st December from 5pm

WHERE Greenwich Baths

For one night only Paddington Markets will be holding a Christmas Night

market filled with beautiful stalls for last minute gifts There will also be

entertainment gourmet food and live music

WHEN Thursday 20th December 4pm-9pm

WHERE Paddington Markets ndashOxford Street Paddington

PNP-Portable North Pole Experience the magic of Christmas with the PNP-Portable

North Pole console

The PNP console lets you create personalized videos from

Santa for the young and the young-at-heart This is the 5th

year Portable North Pole has offered a free personalized

video message from Santa Claus to your loved ones This

year at a small cost there is also an option to have Santa

phone your child This is a must do for every parent who

would love to see the joy on their childrenrsquos faces when

Santa send s a personalized message to them

WHEN Until Dec 24th 2012

WHERE wwwportablenorthpolecom

Palm Beach Carols by the Sea

Come together to cerebrate Christmas with

traditional carols at Palm Beach

Enjoy twilight carols at Palm Beach next to the

wharf in Pittwater Park Organised by St Davids

Church at Palm Beach

WHEN Wednesday 19 December 6pm-8pm

WHERE Pittwater Park next to Palm Beach Wharf

18

Paddington Markets Christmas Night Market

The angelic voices of the AGC have been heard at

many hundreds of public performances around

Australia and the world with the girls having

recently been selected to perform for Her Majesty

Queen Elizabeth II and for President Barack Obama

at the official reception functions hosted by the

Prime Minister at Parliament House

The Australian Girls Choir will be performing at QVB

on Thursday 20th and Saturday 22nd of December

WHEN From 8 December 2012 10am - 1pm

WHERE Queen Victoria Building between 12pm

and 2pm

QVB Christmas Carols Under the Dome

ReindeerCam is Santarsquos official

reindeer live feed At 11am 6pm and

9pm USA Eastern Standard time

Santa comes out to the reindeer pen

to feed them On various occasions

he will check the mail or will be

accompanied by an elf on his duties

ReindeerCamcom

On the back of the barn there is also a running ticker

feed of all the children on the good list This is a lovely

festive treat for the children to see Santa feeding the

reindeers by live web cam

WHEN Daily until Christmas Day at 11am 6pm and

9pm USA Eastern Standard time

WHERE wwwreindeercamcom

19

Rotunda Carols by Candlelight Bring a picnic rug and spend an evening under the stars at Balmoral Beach singing to your

favourite Christmas carols

There will be a free shuttle bus via Spit Junction Military Rd amp Raglan St from 530pm

WHEN Saturday 22 December 2012 745PM - 915PM

WHERE Balmoral Beach

Rose Bay Christmas Carols

South Maroubra Christmas Show SHERBET frontman Daryl Braithwaite and SpongeBob SquarePants will headline this

years South Maroubra Christmas Show on the South Maroubra Village Green on

Sunday December 23 from 4pm-9pm The Snake Man of La Perouse will come out

of retirement for the show

WHEN Sunday 23 December 430pm

WHERE South Maroubra Village Green

20

Come along to Pannerong Reserve on Thursday December

20 and celebrate the festive season at the Rose Bay

Christmas Carols

WHEN Thursday 20th Dec 2012 530pm-800pm

WHERE Pannerong Reserve Cnr New South Head Road

and Wilberforce Avenue Rose Bay

Thursday Kids Christmas Craft Party

Itrsquos Christmas time

Celebrate the end of the school year with some fun

Christmas craft and make a gift to take home for

someone special

Booking open 6 December Phone 9978 4091

For school children aged 5

WHEN Thursday 20 December 4pm

WHERE Mosman Library

Uh-Oh we canrsquot find anything for u

Donrsquot let greedy old Rudolph eat all the

Reindeer food this year Mix up an extra large

batch of magic reindeer food so Vixen (the one

in the middle who always misses out) can have

some too

Mix oats and edible glitter together Sprinkle on

lawn on Christmas Eve so reindeers can find

their way to your house

22

Now is the perfect opportunity to thank all our Alphabet Street supporters

in 2012 We appreciate you staying with us from year to year and we look

forward to providing you with even better and exciting things in 2013

Vixen

Woolworths Carols in the Domain

Woolworths Carols in the Domain is Australias

largest free Christmas concert In 2012 Carols

celebrates 30 years and we are looking

forward to a star studded event

WHEN Saturday 22nd December

1200 noon - Event Carnival starts

300pm - Pre-show entertainment on stage

830pm - Main concert Broadcast live on

Seven Network

WHERE The Domain Royal Botanic Gardens

Yummy Treats Christmas is the one time outside of

Easter where there are festive specific

foods or drink that are only eaten at

Christmas Spend a day in the kitchen

with the kids and cook up some of your

favourite festive and yummy treats

Check out the recipes for White

Christmas Christmas Cake Christmas

Pudding gingerbread Yule log and Egg

Nog

ZZZZZZZZZZZ There is nothing like reading a Christmas

story to the little ones on Christmas Eve

before they settle down to dream of

what Santa will bring them on Christmas

Day If you would like some

recommendations of some of the best

Christmas Childrenrsquos stories click HERE

23

Christmas or Xmas Christmas has been referred to Xmas since the mid-16th century The

ldquoXrdquo in Xmas originally referred to x the Greek letter chi which is the

initial word for ldquoChristosrdquo or Christ in Greek In recent generations

Xmas is used much more controversially because some claim that it

attempts to remove ldquoChristrdquo from ldquoChristmasrdquo Xmas is often used as a

form of shorthand for Christmas and is not commonly used in formal

forms of writing

Yummy Treats Christmas is the one time outside of

Easter where there are festive specific

foods or drink that are only eaten at

Christmas Spend a day in the kitchen

with the kids and cook up some of your

favourite festive and yummy treats

Check out the recipes for White

Christmas Christmas Cake Christmas

Pudding gingerbread Yule log and Egg

Nog

ZZZZZZZZZZZ There is nothing like reading a Christmas

story to the little ones on Christmas Eve

before they settle down to dream of

what Santa will bring them on Christmas

Day If you would like some

recommendations of some of the best

Christmas Childrenrsquos stories click HERE

23

Christmas or Xmas Christmas has been referred to Xmas since the mid-16th century The

ldquoXrdquo in Xmas originally referred to x the Greek letter chi which is the

initial word for ldquoChristosrdquo or Christ in Greek In recent generations

Xmas is used much more controversially because some claim that it

attempts to remove ldquoChristrdquo from ldquoChristmasrdquo Xmas is often used as a

form of shorthand for Christmas and is not commonly used in formal

forms of writing

All I Want for Christmas Tracey Cotroneo from Melbourne Mamma

lists her 10 top gifts for babies girl boys

and stocking fillers this Christmas

Top

10 Christmas

Gifts

Babies

Haba Whirligig Clutch Toy

wwwjusttoynaroundcomau RRP $2495

Rainbow Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Wall Art

wwwlovejkcomau RRP $7995

2 in 1 Baby Gym Playmat

wwwelctoyscomau RRP $6500

Alimrose Fairy Doll Rattle

wwwlittlebooteekcomau RRP $1895 Mesmerised Book

wwwhellocharliecomau RRP $1295

Very Hungry Caterpillar Jack-in-the-Box

wwwtarbeacomau RRP $3995

Moonbeam Huggie Bear

wwwtinywardrobecomau RRP $2995

Jellycat Boing Ball

wwwfunkmelbournecomau RRP $1495

Uncle Goose Classic Lower Case ABC Blocks

wwwbuttonbabycomau RRP $6495

Bunny Rabbit Night Light RRP $1895

wwwnaughtsandcrossesbigcartelcom

26

Top

10 Christmas

Gifts

Babies

Haba Whirligig Clutch Toy

wwwjusttoynaroundcomau RRP $2495

Rainbow Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Wall Art

wwwlovejkcomau RRP $7995

2 in 1 Baby Gym Playmat

wwwelctoyscomau RRP $6500

Alimrose Fairy Doll Rattle

wwwlittlebooteekcomau RRP $1895 Mesmerised Book

wwwhellocharliecomau RRP $1295

Very Hungry Caterpillar Jack-in-the-Box

wwwtarbeacomau RRP $3995

Moonbeam Huggie Bear

wwwtinywardrobecomau RRP $2995

Jellycat Boing Ball

wwwfunkmelbournecomau RRP $1495

Uncle Goose Classic Lower Case ABC Blocks

wwwbuttonbabycomau RRP $6495

Bunny Rabbit Night Light RRP $1895

wwwnaughtsandcrossesbigcartelcom

26

Top

10 Christmas

Gifts

Boys

Fire Fighter Builder

wwwmoosaidthecowcomau RRP $6495

Train Box Set by Tiger Tribe

wwwshop4toyscomau RRP $5995

Explorer Case by Egmont RRP $36

wwworangesandlemonsboutiquecomau

Micro Scooter

wwwmicroscooterscomau RRP $17950 Jurassic Dinosaur Bag

wwwbuttonbabycomau RRP $3495

Planks

wwwgreenhatworkshopcom From $5900

Pirate Ship by Le Toy Van

wwwtlbccomau RRP $8995

Wishbone Bike RRP $239

wwwmelbournemammacomauwishbone

Automoblox C9 Red sports car

wwwlucaslovescarscomau RRP $5500 Prism Switch Kite

wwwkitepowercomau RRP $45

27

Top

10 Christmas

Gifts

Girls

Spineless Classics Alice in Wonderland

wwwspinelessclassicscomau RRP $6995

Pink Retro Toy Play Kitchen

wwwhipkidscomau RRP $199

Tiger Tribe Vintage Tea Set

wwwpeanutgallerycomau RRP $3495

Little Lamb Designs Sterling Silver

Bluebird Necklace

wwwlittlelambdesignscomau RRP $60

Mini Dollies Fairyland

wwwcradlerockcomau RRP $2495

Living Like Lulu Apple Baskets

wwwlittletinkerscomau RRP $8995

Lil Fairy Door RRP $3600

wwwthelittlehomewarescompanycomau

Miss Ruby May Doll

wwwmissrubymaycomau RRP $5900

Tiger Tribe Dollhouse Box RRP $5995

wwwspoiltgiftandhomewarescomau Princess Castle RRP $3500

wwwnaughtsandcrossesbigcartelcom

28

Top

10 Christmas

Gifts

Stocking Fillers

Tiger Tribe Super Clay Minis - Flowers

wwwcradlerockcomau RRP $495

Funny Face Magnetic

wwwrudyandthedodocomau RRP $1795

Guitar Nano Blocks

wwwmudpuddlecomau RRP $1195

Origami Paper

wwwenchantedbybookscomau RRP $999

Kaboodles Craft Kits

Create your own Picture Frame

wwwfreerangelivingco RRP $1500

Scribble Down Dinosaur Encounter

wwwboyosaurcomau RRP $895

Apple Patchwork Handbag RRP $995

wwwoobicomau

Makedo-Find and Make Flowers

wwwittybittygreeniecomau $1196

Sweetie Petite Doll Kit-Daisy

wwwbubbablingcomau RRP $20 Coq en Pacircte Paper Toys - Jet Set Pets

wwwlittlebooteekcomau RRP $1595

29

Kate Anderson from Indispensable Me shares her childhood memories leading up to the big day

30

Christmas 1975 I was 6 years old and obsessed

with the colour purple My family used to call me the

ldquoPurple People Eaterrdquo after that strange novelty song

I wore a lot of purple clothes back then So of course

I wanted a purple bike for Christmas - well a tricycle

to be perfectly accurate I was probably old enough

for a bike but the combination of poor gross motor

skills and protective parents ensured it had to have

three wheels It was all I wished for that entire year

Nearly 40 years later Christmas is almost here again

and the underside of our tree is filling up with

presents My young girls are getting excited This year

they havenrsquot really asked for anything ldquobigrdquo and quite

frankly there is not a lot that they need I am

delighted by their restraint but anxious that the gifts

we have organised for them are not very ldquomagicalrdquo

and not quite what Christmas memories are made

from

I am troubled in a first-world angsty kind of way

What exactly am I trying to deliver to my girls The

best toy ever The magic of Christmas I am not sure

Perhaps I just need to travel back to 1975 to see

Christmas through my eyes as a child

I can remember needing to share my fervent wish for

a purple tricycle with Santa Mum suggested writing

him a letter addressed to the North Pole I was by

then a competent writer - with my first year of school

under my belt I also drew a picture of a purple trike

just to make it clear And I mentioned the colour

purple more than a couple of times I also discussed

my wish with Santarsquos special intermediaries the ones I

had access to on a daily basis And though I canrsquot

remember the discussion - Mum and Dad tell me it

was persuasive and convincing My message

delivered I presumed (well hoped) that Santarsquos elves

were tinkering away in their workshop creating my

special purple trike just for me

So that just left the waiting and the anticipation On

Christmas morning I woke feeling strangely buzzy

and jumpy We had a couple of rules for this special

morning - no one out of bed before the 7am signal

from Mum And then we were all required to head

down the hall together So you can imagine waiting

in my bed the anticipation was excruciating I was far

from certain that Santa had said yes to my request It

was a big present the sort of thing I rarely asked for

and could barely imagine receiving I was almost

afraid to get out of bed in case of disappointment

But there it was purple and shiny and BIG and just

waiting for me to jump aboard It was more

beautiful than I had even imagined I felt giddy and

silly and smiley and just wanted to sit on it After all

the anticipation in the days and weeks leading up to

Christmas I think I was in some kind of delirious

shock

At that point it seemed like the world was perfect

And for a little while after Christmas zooming up

and down our concrete back patio - Im pretty sure

it was

As the years have passed the warm-fuzzy feeling

generated by that Christmas and the purple trike

have grown All my childhood memories of waking

up on Christmas morning and wondering what

would be found under the tree share that same

feeling - first experienced in 1975 It became the

template for how Christmas morning was supposed

to feel Excited expectant and with that added early

lesson on the joy of delayed gratification

Now as a grown up and a mother myself I also

appreciate the pain and joy of my parentrsquos journey

that Christmas They too suffered from gift anxiety

wanting me to have the best possible Christmas

with the most perfect present And apparently a

purple tricycle was not an easy thing to find In

those days before internet searches my parents just

had to spend time doing the legwork Mum visited a

lot of bike shops and Dad spent a lot of time letting

his fingers do the walking in the Yellow Pages He

tells a tale of the mad 100km round trip to a

warehouse in the city just two days before

Christmas to pick it up Halfway home he panicked

What if it wasnrsquot purple He hadnrsquot even checked

Unable to face the possibility of delivering the wrong

colour he jumped out of the car and ripped open

the box All good and safely delivered to be hidden

in his shed till Christmas Eve

So there is little wonder that I too LOVE the

experience of playing Santa for my children And

why I want it to be special and magical for them

both We also make our girls wait until an agreed

time before racing down to open their presents A

growing body of literature has linked the ability to

delay gratification to a host of positive outcomes

including academic achievement psychological

health and social success But I doubt that was ever

my parents intent Like me I am sure they simply

loved watching our eyes light up on Christmas

morning as we ran into the family room to discover

our special wishes (no matter how big or small) had

come true 31

Christmas Memories

ldquoAt the age of 7 I received a gorgeous musical jewellery box with a dancing ballerina from my Nan It makes me sad to think I no longer have it given she is no longer with us However I thought I was the luckiest little girl in the world when I received it So beautiful delicate graceful and very special everything my Nan was Although such music boxes are not rare I can still recall unwrapping it on Christmas Day and watching the dancing ballerina for hours The box would hold all of my precious little knick knacks and would sit proudly on my bedside table With 3 boys of my own I cannot foresee giving anything similar as a gift but I do look forward to the day where I can possibly give such a gorgeous gift to my own granddaughters at Christmas timerdquo Natalie - marketing professional mum of 3

ldquoI was beyond excitement the year I got my Evel Knievel stunt cycle for Christmas Its the first year that I can remember asking Santa for something and actually getting it And the only toy I remember from my childhood that actually did what the TV ad showed it doing I spent an entire summer jumping the bike off the end of tables and benches and one time (our greatest triumph) from the edge of the pool across the water and onto a lilo I was a legend in my own backyard The only downside was that poor old Evel was the only boy doll in the house so he often got kidnapped by my older sister and was forced to play lsquotea partiesrsquo with Barbie I wish I still had my Evel I reckon my son would be interested in it for about half a day Mark - builder dad of 1

ldquoldquoA gift from my parents ndash my beautiful tin of Derwent pencils 36 in total Apparently the 72 seemed a bit excessive to those in charge of present giving I treasured those pencils always keeping them well sharpened but not too sharp Often reordering them in numbercolourshade order just for the joy of it Many an average work of art was created over the years with those pencils I loved the colours and how well they drew Yes I have given a set of Derwents to my own sons They are to be shared They are even watercolour too which means you can use a wet paintbrush to create water colour type effects The boys love and treasure them and

they too make sure every last one is packed away each time they complete a session of creative exploration They donrsquot spend the time to put them all back in numbercolour orderbut I must confess I have done it once or twice for old timesrsquo sakerdquo Rochelle - marketer mum of 2 My most wonderful present was my first big girls bike that I was given by my parents the Christmas I turned 10 (sadly that was 30 years ago) It was a BSA bike an English brand that my Dad had hunted down in Melbourne because that was the same brand of bike as he has been given when he was a boy in England It was bright red with a silver pack rack and a little wicket basket and white rim tyres a brown leather seat and BSA in white lettering on the frame So retro I rode that bike until I was 16() and I had truly grown too big for it then It was the best present and it meant that I could ride around the neighbourhood (no helmet) ride it to school and visiting my friends - the freedom Dad kept it in the shed when I moved out of home and I was so so sad when it was stolen when my parents were away on holiday a few years later I would love to have it now for my girlsrdquo Nat - illustrator mother of 2

ldquoMy very own watch given to me by my parents I thought it was absolutely great It made me feel important I was a lsquosomeonersquo with my watch on I had a school friend who coveted my watch and in turn for allowing him to wear my watch for a period of time he would give me money to go and buy peanut butter sandwiches from the tuck shop (Imagine ndash nuts at school) Now in my forties I no longer wear a watch and havenrsquot done for years Irsquom too prone to breaking them and besides the time is now on my phone lap top or upside down on someone elsersquos wrist when I need it I think I would perhaps buy a watch for my sons but I wouldnrsquot want to get them a digital one It would have to be a handsome analogue version so that they could learn to tell the time the old fashioned wayrdquo Stephen - international man of mystery dad of 2

Kate Anderson is mum of two girls and owner of Indispensable Me a Publicity project management and administration business in Melbourne 32

Christmas 1975 I was 6 years old and obsessed

with the colour purple My family used to call me the

ldquoPurple People Eaterrdquo after that strange novelty song

I wore a lot of purple clothes back then So of course

I wanted a purple bike for Christmas - well a tricycle

to be perfectly accurate I was probably old enough

for a bike but the combination of poor gross motor

skills and protective parents ensured it had to have

three wheels It was all I wished for that entire year

Nearly 40 years later Christmas is almost here again

and the underside of our tree is filling up with

presents My young girls are getting excited This year

they havenrsquot really asked for anything ldquobigrdquo and quite

frankly there is not a lot that they need I am

delighted by their restraint but anxious that the gifts

we have organised for them are not very ldquomagicalrdquo

and not quite what Christmas memories are made

from

I am troubled in a first-world angsty kind of way

What exactly am I trying to deliver to my girls The

best toy ever The magic of Christmas I am not sure

Perhaps I just need to travel back to 1975 to see

Christmas through my eyes as a child

I can remember needing to share my fervent wish for

a purple tricycle with Santa Mum suggested writing

him a letter addressed to the North Pole I was by

then a competent writer - with my first year of school

under my belt I also drew a picture of a purple trike

just to make it clear And I mentioned the colour

purple more than a couple of times I also discussed

my wish with Santarsquos special intermediaries the ones I

had access to on a daily basis And though I canrsquot

remember the discussion - Mum and Dad tell me it

was persuasive and convincing My message

delivered I presumed (well hoped) that Santarsquos elves

were tinkering away in their workshop creating my

special purple trike just for me

So that just left the waiting and the anticipation On

Christmas morning I woke feeling strangely buzzy

and jumpy We had a couple of rules for this special

morning - no one out of bed before the 7am signal

from Mum And then we were all required to head

down the hall together So you can imagine waiting

in my bed the anticipation was excruciating I was far

from certain that Santa had said yes to my request It

was a big present the sort of thing I rarely asked for

and could barely imagine receiving I was almost

afraid to get out of bed in case of disappointment

But there it was purple and shiny and BIG and just

waiting for me to jump aboard It was more

beautiful than I had even imagined I felt giddy and

silly and smiley and just wanted to sit on it After all

the anticipation in the days and weeks leading up to

Christmas I think I was in some kind of delirious

shock

At that point it seemed like the world was perfect

And for a little while after Christmas zooming up

and down our concrete back patio - Im pretty sure

it was

As the years have passed the warm-fuzzy feeling

generated by that Christmas and the purple trike

have grown All my childhood memories of waking

up on Christmas morning and wondering what

would be found under the tree share that same

feeling - first experienced in 1975 It became the

template for how Christmas morning was supposed

to feel Excited expectant and with that added early

lesson on the joy of delayed gratification

Now as a grown up and a mother myself I also

appreciate the pain and joy of my parentrsquos journey

that Christmas They too suffered from gift anxiety

wanting me to have the best possible Christmas

with the most perfect present And apparently a

purple tricycle was not an easy thing to find In

those days before internet searches my parents just

had to spend time doing the legwork Mum visited a

lot of bike shops and Dad spent a lot of time letting

his fingers do the walking in the Yellow Pages He

tells a tale of the mad 100km round trip to a

warehouse in the city just two days before

Christmas to pick it up Halfway home he panicked

What if it wasnrsquot purple He hadnrsquot even checked

Unable to face the possibility of delivering the wrong

colour he jumped out of the car and ripped open

the box All good and safely delivered to be hidden

in his shed till Christmas Eve

So there is little wonder that I too LOVE the

experience of playing Santa for my children And

why I want it to be special and magical for them

both We also make our girls wait until an agreed

time before racing down to open their presents A

growing body of literature has linked the ability to

delay gratification to a host of positive outcomes

including academic achievement psychological

health and social success But I doubt that was ever

my parents intent Like me I am sure they simply

loved watching our eyes light up on Christmas

morning as we ran into the family room to discover

our special wishes (no matter how big or small) had

come true 31

Christmas Memories

ldquoAt the age of 7 I received a gorgeous musical jewellery box with a dancing ballerina from my Nan It makes me sad to think I no longer have it given she is no longer with us However I thought I was the luckiest little girl in the world when I received it So beautiful delicate graceful and very special everything my Nan was Although such music boxes are not rare I can still recall unwrapping it on Christmas Day and watching the dancing ballerina for hours The box would hold all of my precious little knick knacks and would sit proudly on my bedside table With 3 boys of my own I cannot foresee giving anything similar as a gift but I do look forward to the day where I can possibly give such a gorgeous gift to my own granddaughters at Christmas timerdquo Natalie - marketing professional mum of 3

ldquoI was beyond excitement the year I got my Evel Knievel stunt cycle for Christmas Its the first year that I can remember asking Santa for something and actually getting it And the only toy I remember from my childhood that actually did what the TV ad showed it doing I spent an entire summer jumping the bike off the end of tables and benches and one time (our greatest triumph) from the edge of the pool across the water and onto a lilo I was a legend in my own backyard The only downside was that poor old Evel was the only boy doll in the house so he often got kidnapped by my older sister and was forced to play lsquotea partiesrsquo with Barbie I wish I still had my Evel I reckon my son would be interested in it for about half a day Mark - builder dad of 1

ldquoldquoA gift from my parents ndash my beautiful tin of Derwent pencils 36 in total Apparently the 72 seemed a bit excessive to those in charge of present giving I treasured those pencils always keeping them well sharpened but not too sharp Often reordering them in numbercolourshade order just for the joy of it Many an average work of art was created over the years with those pencils I loved the colours and how well they drew Yes I have given a set of Derwents to my own sons They are to be shared They are even watercolour too which means you can use a wet paintbrush to create water colour type effects The boys love and treasure them and

they too make sure every last one is packed away each time they complete a session of creative exploration They donrsquot spend the time to put them all back in numbercolour orderbut I must confess I have done it once or twice for old timesrsquo sakerdquo Rochelle - marketer mum of 2 My most wonderful present was my first big girls bike that I was given by my parents the Christmas I turned 10 (sadly that was 30 years ago) It was a BSA bike an English brand that my Dad had hunted down in Melbourne because that was the same brand of bike as he has been given when he was a boy in England It was bright red with a silver pack rack and a little wicket basket and white rim tyres a brown leather seat and BSA in white lettering on the frame So retro I rode that bike until I was 16() and I had truly grown too big for it then It was the best present and it meant that I could ride around the neighbourhood (no helmet) ride it to school and visiting my friends - the freedom Dad kept it in the shed when I moved out of home and I was so so sad when it was stolen when my parents were away on holiday a few years later I would love to have it now for my girlsrdquo Nat - illustrator mother of 2

ldquoMy very own watch given to me by my parents I thought it was absolutely great It made me feel important I was a lsquosomeonersquo with my watch on I had a school friend who coveted my watch and in turn for allowing him to wear my watch for a period of time he would give me money to go and buy peanut butter sandwiches from the tuck shop (Imagine ndash nuts at school) Now in my forties I no longer wear a watch and havenrsquot done for years Irsquom too prone to breaking them and besides the time is now on my phone lap top or upside down on someone elsersquos wrist when I need it I think I would perhaps buy a watch for my sons but I wouldnrsquot want to get them a digital one It would have to be a handsome analogue version so that they could learn to tell the time the old fashioned wayrdquo Stephen - international man of mystery dad of 2

Kate Anderson is mum of two girls and owner of Indispensable Me a Publicity project management and administration business in Melbourne 32

Christmas Memories

ldquoAt the age of 7 I received a gorgeous musical jewellery box with a dancing ballerina from my Nan It makes me sad to think I no longer have it given she is no longer with us However I thought I was the luckiest little girl in the world when I received it So beautiful delicate graceful and very special everything my Nan was Although such music boxes are not rare I can still recall unwrapping it on Christmas Day and watching the dancing ballerina for hours The box would hold all of my precious little knick knacks and would sit proudly on my bedside table With 3 boys of my own I cannot foresee giving anything similar as a gift but I do look forward to the day where I can possibly give such a gorgeous gift to my own granddaughters at Christmas timerdquo Natalie - marketing professional mum of 3

ldquoI was beyond excitement the year I got my Evel Knievel stunt cycle for Christmas Its the first year that I can remember asking Santa for something and actually getting it And the only toy I remember from my childhood that actually did what the TV ad showed it doing I spent an entire summer jumping the bike off the end of tables and benches and one time (our greatest triumph) from the edge of the pool across the water and onto a lilo I was a legend in my own backyard The only downside was that poor old Evel was the only boy doll in the house so he often got kidnapped by my older sister and was forced to play lsquotea partiesrsquo with Barbie I wish I still had my Evel I reckon my son would be interested in it for about half a day Mark - builder dad of 1

ldquoldquoA gift from my parents ndash my beautiful tin of Derwent pencils 36 in total Apparently the 72 seemed a bit excessive to those in charge of present giving I treasured those pencils always keeping them well sharpened but not too sharp Often reordering them in numbercolourshade order just for the joy of it Many an average work of art was created over the years with those pencils I loved the colours and how well they drew Yes I have given a set of Derwents to my own sons They are to be shared They are even watercolour too which means you can use a wet paintbrush to create water colour type effects The boys love and treasure them and

they too make sure every last one is packed away each time they complete a session of creative exploration They donrsquot spend the time to put them all back in numbercolour orderbut I must confess I have done it once or twice for old timesrsquo sakerdquo Rochelle - marketer mum of 2 My most wonderful present was my first big girls bike that I was given by my parents the Christmas I turned 10 (sadly that was 30 years ago) It was a BSA bike an English brand that my Dad had hunted down in Melbourne because that was the same brand of bike as he has been given when he was a boy in England It was bright red with a silver pack rack and a little wicket basket and white rim tyres a brown leather seat and BSA in white lettering on the frame So retro I rode that bike until I was 16() and I had truly grown too big for it then It was the best present and it meant that I could ride around the neighbourhood (no helmet) ride it to school and visiting my friends - the freedom Dad kept it in the shed when I moved out of home and I was so so sad when it was stolen when my parents were away on holiday a few years later I would love to have it now for my girlsrdquo Nat - illustrator mother of 2

ldquoMy very own watch given to me by my parents I thought it was absolutely great It made me feel important I was a lsquosomeonersquo with my watch on I had a school friend who coveted my watch and in turn for allowing him to wear my watch for a period of time he would give me money to go and buy peanut butter sandwiches from the tuck shop (Imagine ndash nuts at school) Now in my forties I no longer wear a watch and havenrsquot done for years Irsquom too prone to breaking them and besides the time is now on my phone lap top or upside down on someone elsersquos wrist when I need it I think I would perhaps buy a watch for my sons but I wouldnrsquot want to get them a digital one It would have to be a handsome analogue version so that they could learn to tell the time the old fashioned wayrdquo Stephen - international man of mystery dad of 2

Kate Anderson is mum of two girls and owner of Indispensable Me a Publicity project management and administration business in Melbourne 32

Tilly amp Otto

fedoraespresso

RRP $15

Mini Sandcrabs

Short Sleeve Rashie - Bondi

RRP $4996

Swimshorts - Aqua

RRP $3195

Hide amp Seek

Cindy Cover-Up Purple Feather

RRP $4495

Eyetribe-Frankie Ray Sunglasses

Picnic-Pink Gingham

RRP $2995

Penny Scallan

Drink Bottle

RRP $1995

Cancer Council

Kids sunscreen

From $995

Saltwater Sandals-Shiny Yellow

Minibots RRP $6995

Tom amp Teddy

Penguins Swimshorts

RRP $4995

Roxy Kids

Go Fish Thongs

RRP $1999

Stay cool this summer with these must have summer

items for little ones

34

1 Outdoor Cinema Watching movies under the stars is a

wonderful experience for the whole family to

enjoy There are a number of Outdoor

Cinema options some paid and some free

but either way there are plenty of family flicks

in the outdoor cinema schedule that

everyone will enjoy Check out the following

options

OPEL Moonlight Cinema- will be screening

advance previews contemporary cult and

classic movies on on the lawns of Centennial

Park Mark in the diaries the following family

flicks

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Dog Days -22nd Dec

Madagascar 3 Europes Most Wanted -28th

Dec

Paranorman -1st Jan 2013

Frankenweenie -4th Jan 2013

The Avengers -9th Jan 2013

Rise Of The Guardians -19th Jan 2013

Wreck-It-Ralph -25th Jan 2013

Aladdin -2nd Feb 2013

WHEN Dec 2012-Feb 2013

WHERE Belvedere Amphitheatre Centennial

Park

Pencil in the following family friendly movies

WHEN 16th January-3rd March 2013

WHERE North Sydney Oval- corner of Miller

amp Ridge Sts

Ben amp Jerryrsquos Openair Cinemas- are a

quintessential summer event with feature

films lighting up our huge movie screen from

dusk Donrsquot miss Family flick Wreck It Ralph

on Sunday 3rd February

Bring the kids down this Sundae Session or

relive your own childhood fun with Wreck-It

Ralph games on the lawn live music and

FREE ice cream

WHEN Sunday 3rd February 815pm

WHERE Dolphin Lawn next to Bondi Pavilion

Dive in Movies- are back this summer at the

Willoughby Leisure Centre

Float on the indoor pool or relax in the court

yard area while you watch some great family

friendly flicks Bring your own food and drinks

or purchase refreshments from the in-house

cafe Children 10 years and younger must be

accompanied by an adult Tickets $750 per

person (includes pool entry) Read more

WHEN Dolphin Tale -715pm Friday 21

December 2012

Over the Hedge-715pm Friday 18 January

2013

Ice Age 4 -715pm Friday 22 February 2013

WHERE Willoughby Leisure Centre

36

Starlight Cinema in North Sydney-will be

screening a wonderful selection of movies for

the family from January-March 2013

2 New Years Eve Celebrations Therersquos no better spot than Sydney Harbour

to spend your New Years Eve celebrations

The Harbour of Light Paradetrade is an exciting

visual spectacle for all to enjoy in the lead-up

to our world-famous NYE12 fireworks

displays Imagination and creativity combine

with the magic of rope lights to produce an

amazing parade of illuminated vessels

There will be lots of pre-show entertainment

including Aerial Acrobatics Ted Noffs Fire Tug

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Smoking

Ceremony Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections

and the family fireworks display at 9pm

Read more

3 API International -Kids Day

meet and great tennis stars show bags

roving entertainment and much more

Read more

WHEN Monday 7 January 2013 Gates open

at 900am

WHERE Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre

37

Some of the worlds best tennis players

including Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Sam Stosur Li

Na Fernando Verdasco are coming to the

Apia International Sydney 2013 Now itrsquos your

turn

Kids aged 16 and under receive FREE entry to

the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre

Come join on Kids Day Monday 7 January

2013 There are loads of activities to keep

young tennis fans entertained including the

kids interactive zone MLC Tennis Hot Shots

4 Sydney Festival The Sydney Festival is Australias largest and

most attended annual cultural event running

every January There is something for

everyone including a fabulous line up of

family friendly and free events Donrsquo miss the

Giant Rubber Duck at Darling Harbour the

Lah-Lah - Parra Opening Party The Listies at

The Famous Spiegeltent and lots more

WHEN 5th-27th January

WHERE Sydney Various

Summer Playground - Stage - The Australia

Day Summer Playground in Hyde Park North

from 9am until 4pm is the best place to soak

up the family fun atmosphere as The new

Wiggles perform a free show accompanied

by the Dorothy the Dinosaur Show

There will also be a morning fitness class

Colouring Zone adorable animals at the

Animal Farm as well as a special ldquoGarden Barrdquo

zone for parents Jimmy Giggle will emcee

the proceedings throughout the day So make

the most of the Australia Day long weekend

and visit Sydney to experience some amazing

events the whole family will enjoy Read

more

WHEN Saturday 26 January 2013 9am-4pm

WHERE Hyde Park North Elizabeth Street

Ferrython- Sydneyrsquos beloved old gals the

four little green and yellow catamarans will

once again line up for one of Australiarsquos most

iconic free events

Come by and cheer on your favourite ferry as

they power down the Harbour and back to

the finish line under the Sydney Harbour

Bridge

WHEN Saturday 26 January 2013 11am-

12pm

WHERE Sydney Harbour

6 Chinese New Year

Tall Ships Race - Starting at Bradleyrsquos Head

Sydneyrsquos Tall Ships will lead an impressive fleet

of historic and charter vessels as they make

their way up the Harbour to finish under the

Bridge This year the Southern Swan Soren

Larsen Bark Endeavour James Craig and the

RANrsquos Young Endeavour ar Saturday 26

January 2013 2pm-3pm e expected to do

battle

All public and private vessels are invited to

join in ndash just mind the 50m exclusion zone

around each Tall Ship

WHEN Saturday 26 January 2013 2pm-3pm

WHERE Sydney Harbour

5 Australia Day Celebrations

38

Celebrate the Year of the Snake at Sydneyrsquos

famous Chinese New Year Festival

The 2013 program is overflowing with

cultural events authentic Asian markets

cooking demonstrations tours exhibitions

and entertainment most of them free

Blending traditional and contemporary Asian

culture the Twilight Parade will illuminate the

city as it connects communities across the

world The cityrsquos streets will host colourful

floats and thousands of parade participants

will wow audiences a show stopper full of

music light colour ndash and fireworks

WHEN Saturday 26 January 2013 2pm-3pm

WHERE Sydney Harbour

Summer Styling

Photography Lee Bird Photography

Styling Styled by Belle

Hair and makeup Simone Clarke Youshiki Scissor

39

Charlie wears aqua check shirt RRP $2495 amp yellow shorts RRP $2495 from Cotton on Kids 40

Ella wears Fabrik lemon picnic smock RRP $6995

Zac wears Organic boys custard tshirt by La Queue du Chat RRP $3590 Available from Little Frenchy amp Jimmy Navy Shorts RRP $4994 from Oobi 41

Charlie wears aqua check shirt RRP $2495 amp yellow shorts RRP $2495 from Cotton on Kids 40

Ella wears Fabrik lemon picnic smock RRP $6995

Zac wears Organic boys custard tshirt by La Queue du Chat RRP $3590 Available from Little Frenchy amp Jimmy Navy Shorts RRP $4994 from Oobi 41

Ella wears Fabrik lemon picnic smock RRP $6995

Zac wears Organic boys custard tshirt by La Queue du Chat RRP $3590 Available from Little Frenchy amp Jimmy Navy Shorts RRP $4994 from Oobi 41

Charlotte wears girls summer dress from Eternal Creation RRP $6495 42

Ayla wears butterfly t-shirt Target RRP $14 and Shorts Gumboots RRP $3495

Scarlett wears Night Owl Together Dress from Minti RRP $4595 43

Charlie wears aqua check shirt RRP $2495 amp yellow shorts RRP $2495 from Cotton on Kids

44

Ella wears KissKiss Organic blouse in pink by La Queue du Chat RRP $5190 and Organic girl shorts pink stripe by La Queue du Chat RRP $3490 from Little Frenchy

Scarlett wears Lexie Pink Chevron Dress RRP $4995 from Oobi

45

Ella wears KissKiss Organic blouse in pink by La Queue du Chat RRP $5190 and Organic girl shorts pink stripe by La Queue du Chat RRP $3490 from Little Frenchy

Scarlett wears Lexie Pink Chevron Dress RRP $4995 from Oobi

45

Zac wears T-shirt Cotton On RRP $1495 amp Shorts Cotton On RRP $1695

46

Charlotte wears Little Horn Balloon Heart Tee in Pink RRP $3495 amp Organic bloomer trousers pink stripe by La Queue du Chat RRP $5690 from Little Frenchy

Ayla wears Smock Pink Forest Dress RRP $3495 from Oobi

47

Charlotte wears Little Horn Balloon Heart Tee in Pink RRP $3495 amp Organic bloomer trousers pink stripe by La Queue du Chat RRP $5690 from Little Frenchy

Ayla wears Smock Pink Forest Dress RRP $3495 from Oobi

47

Zac wears Dragstar Tee RRP $2998 from Monstar Kids amp Mossimo Shorts RRP $5995 Hat-Stylists own

Charlie wears Mossimo T-Shirt RRP $30 amp Beastie Check Shorts RRP from Oobi RRP $4995 Hat from Gumboots $1995

48

Charlie wears Blue amp White Fish Swim Shorts RRP $4995 from Tom amp Teddy

Zac wears SonnyBoy Noahs Arc shorts RRP $32 from Summaskye Gumboot sunglasses $995 Hat Stylists own

Scarlett wears Yellow stripe Bathers Gumboots RRP $2995 Hat Pumpkin Patch RRP $2499 Sunglasses Gumboots RRP $995

Alya wears Roxy Aqua Stripe Bikini RRP $4999 Sunglasses Gumboots RRP $995

49

Charlotte wears Fabrik Miami Bikini RRP $4995 Hat Gumboots RRP $1995 Sunglasses Gumboots RRP $995

50

Ella wears Roxy Rash Vest RRP $4999 amp Roxy Beach Shorts RRP $4599

51

From Left Ayla wears Oobi Out to Play Playsuit (Cherry check) RRP $4495 Scarlett wears Fabrik Explorer Jumpsuit Lattice Print RRP $6995 Charlotte wears Oobi Amalie Tiered Sky dress RRP $4995 Ella wears Oobi Carmen Dress (Cherry Check) RRP $4495 Zac wears Dragstar Tee RRP $2998 from Monstar Kids amp Mossimo Shorts RRP $5995 Hat-Stylists own

52

Scarlett wears Fabrik Explorer Jumpsuit Lattice Print RRP $6995 Charlotte wears Oobi Amalie Tiered Sky dress RRP $4995

53

Charlotte wears Oobi Tinkerbell Marshmallow Dress RRP $4995 Scarlett wears Oobi Anastasia Dress Marshmallow RRP $6995

54

Ella wears Paris Pink Kaftan from Kaftan Kids RRP $3200 Ayla wears Read + Bell Coco Kids Tunic - Watermelon RRP $3500

55

56

Summer Memories

Sights sounds and scents quickly evoke memories of when

we were small We asked some Alphabet Street friends to

take us back in time to their childhood summers

Thatrsquos me with my sister

What a cutie

59

Sisterly Love

Julia Whitney Owner of Rudy and the Dodo

W

60

Andrea Rembeck Owner Tutu Du Monde

I

61

Alex Riggs FounderDesigner Oobi Baby amp Kids

I

62

Julie Lemmon Owner

Cradle Rock

Kate Nelson Owner Meetoo

T

G

63

Amanda Evans DesignerDirector

Cocoome Organic Sleepwear amp My Munchkin Home

M

Thatrsquos me with my sister

What a cutie

59

Sisterly Love

Julia Whitney Owner of Rudy and the Dodo

W

60

Andrea Rembeck Owner Tutu Du Monde

I

61

Alex Riggs FounderDesigner Oobi Baby amp Kids

I

62

Julie Lemmon Owner

Cradle Rock

Kate Nelson Owner Meetoo

T

G

63

Amanda Evans DesignerDirector

Cocoome Organic Sleepwear amp My Munchkin Home

M

Sisterly Love

Julia Whitney Owner of Rudy and the Dodo

W

60

Andrea Rembeck Owner Tutu Du Monde

I

61

Alex Riggs FounderDesigner Oobi Baby amp Kids

I

62

Julie Lemmon Owner

Cradle Rock

Kate Nelson Owner Meetoo

T

G

63

Amanda Evans DesignerDirector

Cocoome Organic Sleepwear amp My Munchkin Home

M

Andrea Rembeck Owner Tutu Du Monde

I

61

Alex Riggs FounderDesigner Oobi Baby amp Kids

I

62

Julie Lemmon Owner

Cradle Rock

Kate Nelson Owner Meetoo

T

G

63

Amanda Evans DesignerDirector

Cocoome Organic Sleepwear amp My Munchkin Home

M

Alex Riggs FounderDesigner Oobi Baby amp Kids

I

62

Julie Lemmon Owner

Cradle Rock

Kate Nelson Owner Meetoo

T

G

63

Amanda Evans DesignerDirector

Cocoome Organic Sleepwear amp My Munchkin Home

M

Julie Lemmon Owner

Cradle Rock

Kate Nelson Owner Meetoo

T

G

63

Amanda Evans DesignerDirector

Cocoome Organic Sleepwear amp My Munchkin Home

M

Amanda Evans DesignerDirector

Cocoome Organic Sleepwear amp My Munchkin Home

M

Did you enjoy the odd backpacker-style adventure before your little ones arrived If you look back

on old photos and feel nostalgic for those days All Abroad Baby has some top tips on how to do the

road less travelled with very little ones

65

BC (Before Children) my husband and I were

the intrepid travel types We caught the overnight

train from Thailand to Laos with the locals We

canoed down the Mekong and did homestays with

traditional Laos families We drove from Darwin to

Sydney over six weeks camping all the way We

even climbed 3726 metres above sea level to the

top of Mount Rinjani an active volcano on Lombok

in Indonesia

Then our little monkeys came onto the scene and

we kissed our Bear Grylls days goodbye ldquoWe never

did get to Machu Picchu Oh well Maybe in another

liferdquo wersquod thoughthellip

Donrsquot get me wrong we adore our little ones and

wouldnrsquot change our new lives as doting parents for

anything But when our second arrived we realised

we hadnrsquot been struck down with Panicky Parents

Syndrome like we had with our first

Before long we felt the need to regain a sense of

our old selves After all nothing makes kids happier

than seeing their parents doing things they love

Could we really go camping with a baby and a

toddler Or take a trip to one of our favourite

destinations South East Asia and venture beyond

the tourist havens

Sure we could We stuck to a few handy tips and off

we went Did anything go wrong Two small

mishaps while camping our airbed sprung a leak

and we had to buy a new one In Bali we forgot to

bring Vegemite (our toddlerrsquos daily staple) and paid

the equivalent of $13 AUD for a small jar

Here are All Abroad Babyrsquos top tips for intrepid

travel with little ones

bull Travel in summer The best part about holidaying in summer is that

you donrsquot need to worry about heavy coats and

clunky shoes which overload your suitcase or

luggage allowance Packing light is one of the keys

to having an enjoyable holiday ndash no one wants to

cart items that weigh more than your baby

bull Take a lightweight stroller Think light in regards to everything ndash even your

pram If yoursquore flying an umbrella stroller (called this

due to the way it easily folds) is accepted as hand

luggage on most airlines (double check with your

airline first) This means you can keep your stroller

with you right up until you board the plane

bull Pack your own nappies amp formula If yoursquore going to a foreign country and you have a

favoured brand of nappies take them with you (or

contact your hotel and ask if your brand of nappies

is available) In Bali nappies were nearly twice the

price they were in Australia The same goes with

formula ndash itrsquos a good idea to take it with you if

yoursquore going overseas

bull Hire a driver with kids car seats Hotels can arrange a driver with kids car seats to

pick you up from the airport You may even be able

to book a driver for a few days so you can venture

to places you canrsquot get to on foot or by public

transport We hired a driver in Bali this cost $60

AUD per day and we went all over the island

bull Find out about baby bedding If you need your hotel to supply a portable cot for

your baby ask them if they provide cot bedding as

well Not all mid-price hotels do (as we once

discovered) You may need to bring your own cot

sheets

bull Check out vaccine recommendations If you are going overseas visit your doctor and find

out if your children need any vaccinations

Recommendations can change so donrsquot go off

information you were given several years ago

bull Take a portable chair camping You will need somewhere to prop up your baby

Camping means no carpeted or wooden floors Just

dirt stones grass and flowers ndash all the things babies

love to put in their mouths If your baby isnrsquot in a

high chair yet a seat like the Bumboreg will do the

trick We took our portable IKEA high chair because

the legs detached

bull Test airbeds before you go camping Unless you fancy an unexpected trip to the closest

camping supplies store inflate your airbeds at home

and see if they deflate

All Abroad Baby is a website that brings together global shopping parenting and travel inspiration for mums of little ones

66

BC (Before Children) my husband and I were

the intrepid travel types We caught the overnight

train from Thailand to Laos with the locals We

canoed down the Mekong and did homestays with

traditional Laos families We drove from Darwin to

Sydney over six weeks camping all the way We

even climbed 3726 metres above sea level to the

top of Mount Rinjani an active volcano on Lombok

in Indonesia

Then our little monkeys came onto the scene and

we kissed our Bear Grylls days goodbye ldquoWe never

did get to Machu Picchu Oh well Maybe in another

liferdquo wersquod thoughthellip

Donrsquot get me wrong we adore our little ones and

wouldnrsquot change our new lives as doting parents for

anything But when our second arrived we realised

we hadnrsquot been struck down with Panicky Parents

Syndrome like we had with our first

Before long we felt the need to regain a sense of

our old selves After all nothing makes kids happier

than seeing their parents doing things they love

Could we really go camping with a baby and a

toddler Or take a trip to one of our favourite

destinations South East Asia and venture beyond

the tourist havens

Sure we could We stuck to a few handy tips and off

we went Did anything go wrong Two small

mishaps while camping our airbed sprung a leak

and we had to buy a new one In Bali we forgot to

bring Vegemite (our toddlerrsquos daily staple) and paid

the equivalent of $13 AUD for a small jar

Here are All Abroad Babyrsquos top tips for intrepid

travel with little ones

bull Travel in summer The best part about holidaying in summer is that

you donrsquot need to worry about heavy coats and

clunky shoes which overload your suitcase or

luggage allowance Packing light is one of the keys

to having an enjoyable holiday ndash no one wants to

cart items that weigh more than your baby

bull Take a lightweight stroller Think light in regards to everything ndash even your

pram If yoursquore flying an umbrella stroller (called this

due to the way it easily folds) is accepted as hand

luggage on most airlines (double check with your

airline first) This means you can keep your stroller

with you right up until you board the plane

bull Pack your own nappies amp formula If yoursquore going to a foreign country and you have a

favoured brand of nappies take them with you (or

contact your hotel and ask if your brand of nappies

is available) In Bali nappies were nearly twice the

price they were in Australia The same goes with

formula ndash itrsquos a good idea to take it with you if

yoursquore going overseas

bull Hire a driver with kids car seats Hotels can arrange a driver with kids car seats to

pick you up from the airport You may even be able

to book a driver for a few days so you can venture

to places you canrsquot get to on foot or by public

transport We hired a driver in Bali this cost $60

AUD per day and we went all over the island

bull Find out about baby bedding If you need your hotel to supply a portable cot for

your baby ask them if they provide cot bedding as

well Not all mid-price hotels do (as we once

discovered) You may need to bring your own cot

sheets

bull Check out vaccine recommendations If you are going overseas visit your doctor and find

out if your children need any vaccinations

Recommendations can change so donrsquot go off

information you were given several years ago

bull Take a portable chair camping You will need somewhere to prop up your baby

Camping means no carpeted or wooden floors Just

dirt stones grass and flowers ndash all the things babies

love to put in their mouths If your baby isnrsquot in a

high chair yet a seat like the Bumboreg will do the

trick We took our portable IKEA high chair because

the legs detached

bull Test airbeds before you go camping Unless you fancy an unexpected trip to the closest

camping supplies store inflate your airbeds at home

and see if they deflate

All Abroad Baby is a website that brings together global shopping parenting and travel inspiration for mums of little ones

66

School Holiday Snapshot

Wind in the Willows Melbourne and Sydneyrsquos favourite family

entertainment continues its well-loved tradition

of bringing the animals home to the Royal

Botanic Gardens for summer Over the years an

audience of tens of thousands have delighted in

the simple pleasures of this rollicking

production Pack a picnic pack the kids and

join Rat Mole Badger Otter Portly and of

course Mr Toad as they bring to life Kenneth

Grahames immortal story of life on the

riverbank Read more

There are so many wonderful school holiday activities throughout the

summer holidays that we canrsquot list them all however check out some

of our favourites below

Wallacersquos workshop for budding inventors A full day program where budding inventors will

visit Wallace amp Gromitrsquos World of Invention and

take part in the Australian Inventions Trail and

Quiz Show Plus design and make your own

invention using modelling clay and enjoy a range

of other hands-on activities Includes a bonus

STAEDTLERreg Noris Clubreg aquasoft modelling

clay kit valued at $2495 Lunch and afternoon

tea is included

Read morehellip

WHEN Tuesday ndash Thursday only

8 ndash 24 January 2013

WHERE Powerhouse Museum Sydney

COST $80 per child $70 member child

Bookings essential

69

WHEN 4th to 27th January 2013 at 11am and 6pm from

Tuesday to Saturday (no 1100am performance on January

4 26 and 27 2013)

WHERE The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

COST Single tickets $25 family of four (1 ticket admits four

people) $90 handling fee may apply

The Great Adventures of Alexander the

Great Discover the bold and awe inspiring tales of

Alexander the Great in this unique family

theatre show

Alexander the Great filled the hearts of

generations with the spirit of adventure

When 12 year old boy Alex Average discovers

Alexander the Greats battle helmet he is

transported to a world of wild horses war and

wonder

On his quest he discovers the virtues of great

leaders and gains the courage and smarts to

save the city museum from being demolished

Join Alex in making the biggest discovery of

all the great in all of us

For children aged 3 and over

Read morehellip

The art of drawing Be inspired by well-known childrenrsquos illustrator

David Legge as he demonstrates different

drawing techniques and shares some tips

Read more

WHEN Sundays 13 amp 27 January 2013 230pm

WHERE Art Gallery of NSW

COST FREE

WHEN 6 January 2013 to 27 January 2013

1100am 1230pm amp 200pm (Sundays to

Fridays only)

WHERE Level G Theatre Australia Museum

COST $5 per person$20 per family (2 adults

and up to 4 children) after admission

Up late at the Library This family event will take you on a torchlight

tour of the extraordinary stained glass windows

of the Mitchell Library Discover the stories

behind the designs and make your own window

to take home Enjoy a pizza dinner in our

fabulous learning space

Suitable for the whole family Read more

WHEN Thursday 17 January 2013

500 pm to 700 pm

WHERE State Library of NSW

COST $15 per person incl GST

70

Wet and Wild Join the Centennial Parklands Rangers for

some dip netting in the pond for water bugs

and some amazing aquatic art and fun water

play (you will get wet) For 2-5 years of age

Read more

Imaginocean A one of a kind live glow-in-the-dark puppet

show direct from the US ImaginOcean is a

Broadway musical spectacular for the whole

family

Tank Bubbles and Dorsel are best friends who

just happen to be fish and they are about to set

out on a remarkable journey of discovery It all

starts with a treasure map and as they swim off

in search of clues they sing dance and make

new friends including everyone in the

audience Ultimately they discover the greatest

treasure of all friendship

Jam-packed with toe-tapping original music

ranging from swing to RampB to big band this

show is a blast from the first big splash to the

last wave goodbye Read more

WHEN 10 January 2013 10am ndash 1130 am

WHERE The Learning Centre Centennial Park

Sydney

COST $15

Kids In The Colony Go back in time and find out what the family

and servants did each day at Elizabeth Farm

Put on an apron and cap and you will be

washing clothes and making beds and once the

hard work is done you can test your writing

skills with a quill and enjoy some 19th century

gamesAge 5+ Read more

WHEN Saturdays 5 12 amp 19 January11am -

12pm

WHERE Elizabeth Farm 70 Alice Street

Rosehill

COST Free with museum entry | Bookings not

required

WHEN 3 January ndash 27 January 2013

Running time 45 mins see website for timings

WHERE Sydney Opera House

COST $24-49 plus booking fee

For children aged 4+

71

Little Green Thumbs

Share your toddlerrsquos delight as you explore the

fascinating world of gardens and plants together

This fun session involves games craft and

gardening activities

Suitable for 3-5 year olds who must be

accompanied by an adult Read more

WHEN Fri 18 January 10-11 am and Friday 21

January 10-11 am

WHERE Eden Gardens North Ryde

COST $12 per child

Dig it

Archaeologists in training workshops

Become a hands-on archaeological detective

and investigate the history of Fort Phillip and

the site of Sydney Observatory Experience a

simulated archaeology dig find out what

happens to artefacts after they are lsquodugrsquo out of

the ground What is evidence and how can

you use the findings to discover what life was

like on Observatory Hill Plus make a simple

toy just like the children did that lived here 150

years ago In wet weather the dig is replaced

by a 3-D Space Theatre session

For 6- 10 years

Read more

Kung fu workshops

This beginners martial arts workshop will be

conducted by instructors from Jin Wu Koon

Shaolin Double Dragon Kung Fu Academy Martial

art is a great way to enjoy fitness stimulate the

mind and learn a life-long skill Read more

WHEN Tuesday 8 January and Thursday 10

January 10am - 1045am

WHERE Chinese Garden of Friendship Darling

Harbour

COST Free with garden entry ($6 adult$3 child)

WHEN 4 11 18 and 25 January

1030am ndash 12noon and 1 ndash 230pm

WHERE Sydney Observatory

COST Cost $15 child $13 members

Bookings essential

72

alphabet street would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a

safe and memorable New Year

See you in 2013