Beaut Scooting with Globber

Keeping a super active two year old entertained all day is hard enough, let alone trying to encourage outdoor activity when you live somewhere full of hills, steep drops and general danger.

The purchase of our new home in the river side {flat} suburb of Maroochydore initiated my interest in sourcing out a bike or scooter suitable for Ned who turns three in August.

Enter Globber.

I was lucky enough to receive a scooter for Ned to try as well as an adult scooter for us to share to join in on the scooting fun and ever since we've received them Ned's request pretty much as soon as he gets out of bed is to 'do scooting Dad, come on'.

Ned's MyFREE Up which he has named Green Gecko is the perfect model for his age group and not having really scooted before he has picked it up amazingly well, impressing us with his technique and skill, and scaring me with his speed and risk taking. Luckily my heavily pregnant state excuses me from hours and hours of riding which also means he gets plenty of dad time in. This scooter is more expensive than your standard character scooter from Target but you can feel safe in the quality the extra expense delivers. The handle height is adjustable and is easily removed for transportation, it has an intuitive steering system {directional pivots or locked}, and there is a long and covered rear brake preserving the back wheel and saving your child's expensive shoes which they often initially use as the brake.

It took Ned a couple of rides to figure out the steering and the 'scoot, scoot, glide' technique but now there's no stopping him!

When our 18.0 by Kleefer scooter arrived both the husband and I didn't really know if we were cool enough {and whether the word 'cool' was actually even cool} to ride it. Again, the quality is top class but I won't pretend that I'm hip-to-the-jive {refer cool reference above} to know what I'm talking about specs-wise so you can read about that here. Instead, I'll tell you that just about every adult member of my family {including my 60+ year old parents} has ridden the scooter, AND enjoyed themselves without an accident to date. The scooter folds up neatly with an easy kick system and can be stored either at home or in the car, vertically or horizontally with ease.

Globber is a great option to investigate when thinking about purchasing a scooter and associated accessories and we LOVE ours here. I'd say in a couple of years we'll be adding a couple of more scooters to our collection {if these twins ever come!}

Man's Best Friend, Really.

This post is in collaboration with Frontline Flea Treament

More than two years ago now I wrote this post voicing my concerns on how Rocky, our first born, would adapt to life with a new family member. 

Almost everyone we know has questioned how they think he will cope with the baby. We are thinking (and hoping) that he will happily play the 'protective, older brother' role and will not have even a tinge of jealousy but that is in the ideal world. Only time will tell I guess.

More than two years on, it's safe to say they are pretty close.

Ned graciously accepts licks, shares his food, and always wants to know if  'ocko comin?' Rocky graciously accepts said shared food, tolerates being sat on and ridden like a horse and has accepted the newest member to our family just as well as we hoped he would have.

Our family is without a doubt, a family of four. It's only a minor detail that one member of the family is a canine.

Another family that considers their dog as their first born 'child' are my friends Lisa and David. A couple of weeks ago a near tragedy happened when their two year old son was found face down in a dam on a friend's property. Their son's 'protective, older brother' {sister in this regard}, alerted David to the ensuing drama and is one of the main reasons gorgeous Alex has made a full recovery {timely and accurate CPR was administered on site}. Some insensitive people and cyber bullies have placed blame on the parents {easy going: YES, careless and negligent: NO WAY} and even made negative remarks on the staffordshire terrier breed's nature. These claims are completely unnecessary and a load of rubbish.

Some people may consider having a dog in a household with kids dangerous. I consider it a security measure. I bet Lisa and David do too.

Truly Man's. Best. Friend.

{read more here}

Superb Sunshine Coast - The Ginger Factory

When some of my mothers group friends mentioned they had bought the annual pass to The Ginger Factory here on the Sunshine Coast I naively thought what a waste of money {without any concept of what one would do at a Ginger Factory}.

big kudos to the marketing/branding team - love the logo/packaging

But after a visit to the factory recently, I may have to eat my {unspoken} words. That, or some delicious ginger and passionfruit ice cream {churned on site}

The Ginger Factory is a destination that you really could stay at all day. Located in Yandina {about an hour from Brisbane} and open 364 days a year, there are plenty of activities and attractions to keep the whole family entertained. Admission and parking are free and guests are welcome to roam the beautiful park and gardens at their leisure. For people looking for a bit more adventure or education there are rides and tours and let's not forget seasonal food and wine to kick back and relax after a big day of exploring.

The Ginger Cafe and the Icecreamery are conveniently located adjacent to a fabulous and nearly-brank-spankin' new set of play equipment. The play ground is extremely clean and I found it great that littler kids have the option of playing in a separate area. Which area do you think my not-even-two year old wanted to play in? So while you enjoy a meal or drink {did I mention they are licensed?} let the kids play to their hearts content.

Free wifi is available for customers {without needing a password} too.

If your kids are anything like mine, play equipment is like the equivalent of a trip to New York so prying them off to check out the other attractions may be a little difficult. Ned wasn't initially overly keen {read, crying uncontrollably 'shide, shide'} to take a ride of Moreton, the Ginger Train but settled in about half way through when he spotted some ducks {chickens actually, but close enough}. We all really enjoyed the Overboard ride and went around for a second time once Ned had got the idea to try and find the gingerbread man. 

Although we didn't get to experience the full Super Bee show or Factory Tour due to one certain member of our party of three not cooperating, I would recommend both of these. The staff are super passionate about the importance of bees and are keen to spread the word to raise awareness of just how vital bees are to our existence. The Factory Tour explains the history of Buderim Ginger and gives you a sneak peek into the creation of a whole range of ginger products. I discovered that the original Buderim Ginger factory was actually at the site of my local Woolworths - a mere two minute drive from my house!

In addition to all of this, there are a range of shops at the Park including those located near the train at Ginger Town and the obligatory Ginger Shop you will notice as you enter the park. The Ginger shop has a whole stack of products including gourmet foods, kitchenware and skincare and in my opinion, very reasonably priced.

The grounds are immaculate, the parents room is clean, spacious and has all the amenities you would expect and the staff are lovely. Prices and deals can be located here and tickets can be bought either at the park or online. The VIP pass is just $35.00 which grants you entry into the boat and train for an entire year and for those with little ones under 4, they are free meaning it's a fabulous and affordable way to entertain the kids all year long.

A great day out on the Superb Sunshine Coast for kids, little and big.

Location: 50 Pioneer Road, Yandina {exit 215 off the Bruce Highway - Sunshine Coast, QLD}

Weekend Adventures - Northern NSW - Brunswick Heads

We just spent a lovely weekend catching up with Ned's poppy and his partner Rhonda in Brunswick Heads on the northern New South Wales coast. Brunswick Heads is only ten or so minutes north of Byron Bay but we so enjoyed the relaxed nature and AWESOME food that was available in Brunswick that we didn't feel the need to visit Byron (and have to endure the long trip into Byron with other weekend adventurers.) I love that you can walk almost anywhere in Brunswick and also that wearing footwear seems completely optional (even at the pub!)

Food and Booze?
Oodles of options are available - so much so that you don't want to be the one to decide on a restaurant/cafe in case it is disappointing and you should have chosen 'the other one'

Park Street Home Made Pasta Bar (rated #1 on Trip Advisor)
We ate lunch here on Saturday and returned for breakfast on Sunday. The food is amazing, the staff are friendly, bubbly and so natural. We were rhetorically asked if we were 'stoked' about the food after we had already said how delicious our meals were. I wish 'stoked' rolled more naturally off my tongue - I'd feel so much more genuine as a coastie. I would totally return again and again and would love to try out the homemade pasta (diet starts Monday right?) ... Oh, and they have BYO beer and wine (huge tick in my book)

Fat Belly Kaf (rated #2 on TA)
We ate a late dinner here on Saturday night. We ordered the $49/head banquet and it was plentiful, tasty, well timed and the wait staff were knowledgeable and relaxed. I asked a question of the cocktail menu and was given such honest advice. One of the cocktails would have 'rolled me' so I chose the other espresso-martini-esque option (it was fantastic btw). Trainee Daddy ordered a whiskey sour and was also impressed. I would definitely return.

Cino Bambino (rated #5 on TA)
I enjoyed a coffee and a juice and TD ordered a delicious caramel milkshake from this little cafe just below our little apartment. The menu looked unpretentious but delicious (and original) and I would have loved to try the food here. They also had a small selection of baby giftware including aden & anais! Love their mantra (from the website)

Cino Bambino was born out of a desire to allow people to enjoy the cafe experience in a family friendly environment. The arrival of a baby changed our lives in so many ways but the simple pleasures in life such as a hot coffee should not be forgone.

Hotel Brunswick

We had a few drinks and enjoyed the band here on Friday night. It is such a grand old pub with the most amazing beer garden overlooking the river and towards the beach. The food looked really good and we were contemplating dinner here on Saturday night but a Sea Shepherd event had taken over the pub (which demanded an entry fee) so we chose to eat elsewhere. The only downfall (and this wasn't only here) was the ability for people to smoke anywhere (it seemed) they wanted. A must see and do in Brunswick.

Rice

Dinner here on Friday night was bloody fabulous. It seemed authentic, generous and at only $2.00/head corkage, an awesome place for a night out. The only downfall was we felt, as the last customers, that we had to finish our meals (and our drinks) quickly so the staff could go home. I would return here without a doubt. 

Happy Dolphin Cafe

Friendly staff but (barely) average food. Enough said. 

Shopping?
There are enough shops/boutiques to even satisfy a shopaholic like me including a couple of op shops. I scored a genuine Nike broncos infant jersey for Ned for $7.00 at a kids-only op shop as well as a super comfy pair of pants on sale for $30 (down from $70) from a cute boutique.

Would I visit again?
I'd definitely stay again but perhaps in one of the nearby towns like Lennox Head (which we visited) for something different.

A perfect day

Today has just been one of those super fantastic days where you are just so thankful for all that you have. We slept over at mum and dads as the rest of the fam are there and started the day with off with a BBQ breakfast followed by a bit of cooling off in the purpose-bought-for-christmas blow up pool. It was a scorcher here on the coast today so we sure did not stay out in the sun for too long. We enjoyed time in mum and dad's beautifully air conditioned lounge room to watch the last of the boxing day test and then returned home for Ned's first swim in our pool (he was a little unsure but didn't cry) and some more R&R. We finished off the day with a trip to Mudjimba North Shore with my bro, sis-in-law and their new baby Austin, the dogs and my nearly-forty-years-married parents. Finally, a delightful lightening storm has just finished. Sometimes life just is fantastic.

{beware ... photo overload but I couldn't help myself - today's sunset was truly spectacular!)

poor trainee daddy looked not so good in this one but it's our first full family photo and it's so cool

How has your day been?