KID FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS

Here are some top tips to make your Christmas a little bit smoother with wee children.

1. Avoid low hanging decorations, they will end up somewhere else rather than on the tree

2. Big baubles! Don’t pop up decorations that could be choking hazards

3. If in doubt pop your tree up on a table

4. Do you shopping online or get a relative to do it for you and leave the gifts at their house til it’s almost time for Santa .. it takes a village etc etc

5. Keep the candy high or you may find it all over the house or in your child’s hair, bed, wardrobe etc

6. Get shared gifts to keep the cost down

7. Use your child’s craft from daycare to decorate the tree and house

8. What a brilliant time of year to get your babes to behave ie. ‘you better be good for Santa’

9. What a brilliant time of year to get your babes to bed early ie. ‘you better go to bed or Santa won’t come’

10. What a brilliant time of year to drink wine randomly at any time of day. The washing’s lying all over the house, there are no groceries? Cheers to Prosecco!

Mumma Start Up

So you've decided to ditch the boss and start up your own business? YEY that's super exciting well done you! Listen to this episode before you do it or if you already have for tips and tricks to avoid things going pear shaped. Plus you can win a Trade Mark Package from Baker Love Lawyers.

So you've decided to ditch the boss and start up your own business? YEY that's super exciting well done you! Listen to this episode before you do it or if you already have for tips and tricks to avoid things going pear shaped. Plus you can win a Trade Mark Package from Baker Love Lawyers.

Mumma Writes, How to Make it as a Writer

Are you a writer or have ambitions to set your blog on fire, unlike ours which is not really on fire. It sparks up from time to time but we wouldn’t say it’s inspiring. Growing up I had so many friends who wanted to make a living out of being novelists or as writers but few make it. In this digital age of many magazines scaling down and papers taking on less staff Mumma Laura Jackel has managed to forge a career for herself as a writer, find out how below. She’s also the host of the brilliant Oversubscribed Podcast listen to that here.

Whether you want to make a living out of writing articles, a blog or from your instagram or you want to write a novel being a writer is hard work.

Laura Jackel visited a sex club in Sydney on a wiring assignment for Mamamia

Oh! And her big break came when she pitched a story about a first hand experience at an exclusive Sydney sex club. What was that like? Find out here.

Wine time, Water Play and more.. why you should head to the Lake this weekend

Photo by Daria Shevtsova

Mummas it’s actually good to get out of the house with the kids isn’t it? Even though it takes 7 million years to pack the bags and get everything ready once you do it feels so much better and there’s so much on at the Lake this weekend it’s the perfect opportunity to do just that!

Marmong Point Sailing Club are offering Free water sports for kids! Your family can enjoy watching boats zooooom past in the Superboat Championships and the Jet Ski Racing.

ALSO WINE MUMMAS the Food and Wine Festival is on from 12pm-8pm There are wine and beer tastings, cooking demonstrations, food trucks, and entertainment for the whole family. There will be shuttle buses running to and from the event, for more information visit the Facebook page. Hosted by Tangerine Events.

There are also two pop-up licenced bars either end of the Warners Bay from 10am - 3pm 

And the Warners Bay Markets are also on Saturday and Sunday 9am - 4pm . Warners Bay will also come alive with fashion, art, handmade products, food stalls, live entertainment and live broadcast of the Superboat racing. Hosted by Warners Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Mum Guilt - the biggest ailment

Mum guilt is a huge thing these days. It comes from so many different places too. Society, media, health professionals, family, friends and of course yourself. Being such a hot topic, we interviewed Em from The Jacaranda Centre to get her advice on how to deal with it. Sadly mum guilt can often become shame and this can be really dangerous, particularly to your mental health.

Have a think about your own life. Do you end up putting an excessive amount of pressure on yourself to be there for everyone? In my own life I know I definitely do. If I'm at work, I'm guilty that I'm not spending time at home with my kids that aren't at school full time yet. If I'm at home and playing with the kids, I'm guilty because I should be studying or doing housework. If I'm out seeing friends, I'm guilty because I should be using the limited time I have to be doing all of the above. The list goes on. But, if I turn all this around and actually think about things, this is how it can also go.

I'm at work - great! I'm furthering my career and bringing in money for our family

I'm spending time with the kids - I'm building memories and the kids are happy!

I'm studying - good job mum, your career prospects are looking brighter already

I'm out seeing friends - much needed me time ensures that I am looking after myself which leads to a happier mum and therefore happier family

In my opinion, life should be all about balance. And when I say balance, each day won't always be balanced of course. But try to add a little bit of each category that is relevant to you into your week. And please please please, try to be kind to yourself and stop feeling the dreaded mum guilt. If you asked your kids what they thought of you, I'm sure they would be much kinder!

HOW TO HOLIDAY WITH KIDS

Remember those holidays where you’d go and sit by the pool and sip cocktails and read books.. yeah nah that’s probably not your reality now Mumma with a few babes in tow but that doesn’t mean you need to give up on travel, you just need to do it differently, for a while at least.

What are some things to be mindful of when you're contemplating family travel? Which areas of Thailand and Bali are 'more kid friendly'? What about holidays that let you have a bit of time to yourself and also some time to reconnect with your partner while the kids enjoy great experiences of their own? Ashley from Helloworld Hunter Travel Group the Hunter's biggest locally owned and operated travel specialists, joins us to answer all those questions plus you can win a holiday to the Anchorage at Port Stephens to celebrate NHM working with Newcastle and the Hunter’s biggest, locally owned travel specials go here to enter.

Ok so you've mastered holidays solo or just you and your partner but the art of a good family holiday is a completely new ball game! What are the best destinations here and OS? What are some things to be mindful of when you're contemplating family travel?

HOW TO BE A CALM MUM

You may have seen them, these beautiful calm mums? Their voices remain steady under stress and they don't seem to snap as quickly. We are bringing in an expert of calm to make us better at it! Cveta Jovanoska head's up The Yoga Loft in Newcastle. She's going to teach you how to recognise triggers that may lead you to snap then see if you can observe them, move through the anger, remain calm, come out the other side, then take a measured response to whatever has happened.

You may have seen them, these beautiful calm mums? Their voices remain steady under stress and they don't seem to snap as quickly. We are bringing in an expert of calm to make us better at it!Cveta Jovanoska head's up The Yoga Loft in Newcastle.

THE SUPERCARS AND NHM

The Coates Hire Newcastle 500 will return, 22 – 24 November 2019, to crown the next Virgin Australia Supercars Champion and we’re super excited about partnering with them again this year to give you the opportunity to win a pass for your family. You can enter here.

This year they want to cater even better to families brining along their tribes so they’ll have an amazing new Supercars SuperKids Zone. The Zone will be a fully fenced and secure area, designed exclusively for parents and little people to relax, play, and test their racing abilities.

We can’t wait to enjoy the Supercars with you in 2019!

SAIL AWAY WITH NHM

Do you ever just want to get away from it all? Even now it’s a beautiful sunny afternoon in Newie but here I am tapping away working super hard to bring you a couple of very exciting travel episodes of NHM- I GOT IT FROM MY MUMMA.

The next two weeks will see us take you on an incredible journey of Luxe Family Holidays and Budget Family Holidays giving you advice on the best options for your family and possible destinations and ideas you hadn’t thought of previously.

To celebrate our collaboration between Helloworld Hunter Travel Group and NHM Newcastle Hunter Mummas they’re giving away a Luxe stay at The Anchorage Port Stephens. Go here to enter.

Boasting 180 degree ocean views, Hotel Anchorage Port Stephens provides luxurious accommodation overlooking the marina. This upmarket resort boasts an expansive pool terrace and is within a six-minute walk of the quaint little Port Stephens Shell Museum. Furnished balconies with breathtaking pool and marina views are standard features in each room and suite, as are smart TVs, a minibar, and comfy reading chairs. Suites add additional living space and unique stand-alone baths with separate showers. A full-service world-class spa ensures guests are not just well looked after, but pampered and spoilt too. Other luxuries include well-equipped gym, and free on-site parking. Dining at Hotel Anchorage Port Stephens is bound to be memorable. Premium seafood dishes are served at The Wild Herring, all-day dining at The Gallery Kitchen with pool and ocean views, and Hemingway's bar for hot coffee's and refreshing after-dinner drinks. Conroy Park, within a ten-minute walk of Hotel Anchorage Port Stephens, is the perfect destination for a picnic, with Salamander Bay Shopping Centre, a seven-minute drive away.

The right amount of kids

The most common question I get asked is, 'how did you find the change from 2 to 3 kids?' To be honest the question throws me because in my opinion each families coping mechanisms are different. Each family has different stresses, different set ups in place to make life easier or a bit more challenging. For instance, when my littlest came along, on paper it seemed like a scary prospect, having a husband who was working away and a 3 and 1 year old already at home. However, looking back, I wasn't working, didn't have a huge amount of money stresses, had a car that was super easy to navigate a few kids, prams etc. and had my mum living downstairs from us always on hand to help out or throw a load of washing on for me.

Now, my kiddos are 7, 5 and 4 (plus my partners son who is 7) and life is manic! The kids side of things is pretty easy, I'm pretty blessed to have kids that are fantastic at entertaining themselves when they need to. But now, I'm working full time, plus my side hustle, studying and racing around between various sporting and social commitments that the kids have. Our life is crazy sometimes, I wouldn't have it any other way of course, but it's no walk in the park.

So now when I'm asked about how it is with three kids, I like to throw the question back at the person and ask about their situation. Do you have support at home or outside of the home? Are you working? Don't be as concerned about the close proximity in age that your children will be, think more about external factors instead.

And if you're pregnant, good luck! I love my children dearly, but I'm pretty pleased that my child rearing days are over!

Missing the z's

Don't you think as a mum that one of the most asked questions you get is, 'do you have a good sleeper?' The issue of sleeping occupies so many of us when our kids are young, I think I pretty much became obsessed with how much each of my kids was sleeping. I remember when my oldest (now 7) was a baby. He started off beautifully, very textbook, then at around 5 months he wasn't so great, yes I know now that was the 5 month sleep regression. I absolutely freaked out and went to numerous health nurses. It was probably only around 2 months of this before he bounced back and was my perfect sleeper again, but it felt like forever. I was weighing so much pressure on myself to be the perfect mum (I thought this existed).

My next child, was and still is a brilliant sleeper. The only girl in our family, I think she tires herself out so much throughout the day that she just drops at night, never wakes up and never refuses sleep.

Fast forward another year and boy was I in for a rude shock. I thought I had motherhood nailed by now and just knew I'd have another great sleeper. Wrong! My littlest man came along and to cope I did everything deemed 'wrong'. Fed him to sleep, co-slept you name it. Its called 'managing'. Very quickly I was taught a lesson about never judging others and their methods. Motherhood is about doing the best you can.

Why Your Middle Child Might Be Set for Greatness

I was the youngest and ‘spoilt’ my older brother got love before any of us and my middle brother has always complained that he got ‘forgotten’ however new research has shown that’s not the case that that the middle child may end up being the campion of the family. 

Research points to; their ability to negotiate, they’re risk takers and creative, they’re less likely to break under pressure and they have an entrepreneurial spirit. 

So to anyone out there who is stuck in the middle or any of your middle children who complain about being forgotten the research is in, you’re amazing you just need to embrace it. 

Mumma is going back to school

Bec and Will, her youngest

What happens when you decide to go back to study? Our Bec did just that recently and got 80% on her recent exam. She didn’t want to pump up her own tyres by I’m happy to do that for her because she’s truely amazing.

Listen to her top tips on making it work below, Cozi Family Organiser was one of them, download it for free to sort out your life. Other advice included working on assessments before she’d done all the coursework and getting the children to bed at a reasonable time.

Ok so maybe you went to school then possibly University or Tafe but what happens shock horror when you decide to go BACK to study after you've had kids. Whether it's a short course, a University Degree or Tafe Bec shares her experience to help you tackle that difficult but often rewarding time in a Mummas life.

Manifest Your Best Life and Let Your Past Go with Jackie Gillies

Jackie Gillies; businesswoman, Psychic Medium, television personality, philanthropist, wife, and a proud role model for positive body image will help you manifest the life you want.

So we know Jackie we’ve met her a few times and she is the real deal. She has overcome a lot in her life to be the shining woman that she is today and honestly he does shine, being in her presence is so cool. She’s present, directed in her attention and what she says and let’s into her consciousness and she’s such an inspiration.

Do you experience anxiety? Lean how to release it plus how to work through your past and come out the other side happier and healthier. In the Podcast below we examine these topics and more.

Jackie's Live in Newcastle for her Shine It Up! live show, she's also the author of Shine it Up: Inspirational True Story by Jackie Gillies for more on Jackie go here.

Jackie Gillies; businesswoman, Psychic Medium, television personality, philanthropist, wife, and a proud role model for positive body image will help you manifest the life you want. Do you experience anxiety? Lean how to release it plus how to work through your past and come out the other side happier and healthier.

How many is right?

The most common question I get asked is, 'how did you find the change from 2 to 3 kids?' To be honest the question throws me because in my opinion each families coping mechanisms are different. Each family has different stresses, different set ups in place to make life easier or a bit more challenging. For instance, when my littlest came along, on paper it seemed like a scary prospect, having a husband who was working away and a 3 and 1 year old already at home. However, looking back, I wasn't working, didn't have a huge amount of money stresses, had a car that was super easy to navigate a few kids, prams etc. and had my mum living downstairs from us always on hand to help out or throw a load of washing on for me.

Now, my kiddos are 7, 5 and 4 (plus my partners son who is 7) and life is manic! The kids side of things is pretty easy, I'm pretty blessed to have kids that are fantastic at entertaining themselves when they need to. But now, I'm working full time, plus my side hustle, studying and racing around between various sporting and social commitments that the kids have. Our life is crazy sometimes, I wouldn't have it any other way of course, but it's no walk in the park.

So now when I'm asked about how it is with three kids, I like to throw the question back at the person and ask about their situation. Do you have support at home or outside of the home? Are you working? Don't be as concerned about the close proximity in age that your children will be, think more about external factors instead.

And if you're pregnant, good luck! I love my children dearly, but I'm pretty pleased that my child rearing days are over!

My Baby's Off To School

It seemed like just yesterday that you were sleeping side by side with your tiny little human and now they're off to school or a few years away!

Bec’s second child Gracie is off to school so we thought we’d investigate all you need to know about starting school.

What school should you choose private or public? What indicators should you see emotionally and communication wise what show you they're ready to deal with a school environment? What about counting to then and knowing their alphabet, where should they be academically? If you child has formed strong bonds with friends is it a better idea to keep that bond and send them to the same school or can you send your child in a different direction?

Hear advice from two mums who've experienced all this and more Aland and Laura from the Oversubscribed Podcast and Alexander McGrath School Readiness Expert from our Sponsor The Little Unicorn Early Education Centres.

It seemed like just yesterday that you were sleeping side by side with your tiny little human and now they're off to school or a few years away! What school should you choose private or public? What indicators should you see emotionally and communication wise what show you they're ready to deal with a school environment?

Get Your $200 Active Kids Voucher

So you’re involved in 765 million extra curricular activities like us and your budget is stretched to the limit the NSW are going to help out the with the Active Kids Rebate. If you want to apply for it go here.

It’s all kept pretty broad for kids from 4-18 and you can claim most activities. 

The Countdown to the School Holidays

The clock is ticking down to school holidays here’s what some of our NHM 

Mummas have planned. 

BASIC SLOW FUN

Beth Shannessy has said her family don’t have the means for expensive activities at the moment which is true of many but she’s mentioned that basic activities can be just as good like family walks, bike rides, painting boxes, kicking the ball around the yard, walking around Blackbutt and having a picnic. Also what about cooking in the kitchen with your kids? I know it’s a little messy but pizzas and other simple things are fun and cakes are great with mandatory spoon licking!

CHOO CHOO

We have a light rail now in the city Mummas it might not go far but it’s big, shiny and red and it’s pretty fun to jump on and off so check it out. Also Teresa Brauer mentioned her family favourite is to take a train ride to Warnie’s Railway Cafe and Wyong Milk Factory. 

If you’re up for some boating fun too, honestly the ferry to Stockland isn’t a bad option and there’s a new playground there too! 

SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

So maybe you’d like your kids to enjoy something different these school holidays try something new?

Rhubarb Jam School Holiday Workshops 

If your children have heaps of energy it’s a great idea to channel that and what better way than through one of the awesome Rhubarb Jam School Holiday Workshops.

Their workshops encourage all young people to be super CREATIVE, CONFIDENT and COLLABORATIVE in a safe, encouraging environment. Young people become strong COMMUNICATORS while WORKING AS A TEAM.

They’ve got different length workshops, during which they work towards putting on a production, with the emphasis placed on the PROCESS OF CREATING. At the end of the week, participants perform in the production they have produced!

Your children are grouped by age with a maximum of twelve per group and will experience drama, dance and singing in separate sessions throughout the duration of the workshop. They will also be involved in creation of sets and costumes!

Are you ready to ACT SING and DANCE your way through an ALADDIN themed show? We are! And we’d love you to join us at Kotara South these SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

8-12 July. Creative Kids vouchers accepted check them out here

www.rhubarbjam.com.au

Family Picnic Spots 

Teresa mentioned Paterson that looks really beautiful, Debbie Dye also chatted about the Watagans perfect for bush walking and exploring. Also check out

Snowtime in the Garden 

Our kids so loved building slow men last year and ice skating as well as enjoying amazing food with the family. This year you can glide on a giant ice skating rink, slide down a mega ice toboggan and build a snowman in our man-made Snow Play Zone.

Enjoy awesome rides, which include our Super Slide, 25 metre Ferris Wheel, speedy Swing Chair and traditional Venetian Carousel. Plus, roving entertainment, hearty food and warming beverages.

This year they’re adding a Snow Cave! The walk-through snow cave will be filled with Arctic creatures and even falling “snow” several times a day.

Other Snow Fun Snow Fun 

Many Mummas have expressed a wish for their babes to see snow for the first time possibly at Barrington Tops, Canberra, Falls Creek or elsewhere.

Traffic Park 

Newcastle Traffic Park at The Newcastle Station in Newcastle where the babes can learn all about red lights, green lights and the road rules in a fun, safe environment. 

Encouraging less screen time and more active but enjoyable learning

My ‘Little Unicorn’ Lilly developing a love of books from an early age

With new research out saying young children should spend no more than one hour in front of a screen per day I’m so happy to see my little Lillian developing a love of literacy early.

I remember some of the most magical times I spent with my parents was at night reading. They were super busy and hard workers like myself and my partner, always on the go but that was a time when I delighted in having their attention all to myself.

Just recently Lilly has been encouraged in her literacy journey by The Little Unicorn. It stood out as apparent, not only when I read her Story Park App updates about what the Little Unicorn’s have been up to but also at home when she runs to the bookshelf gleefully and brings them to me yelling ‘book, book’.

Each day she spends at The Little Unicorn they have been reading a different book during Story Time and families have been encouraged to share the books they enjoy at home so the children can relish reading them together.

One of their favourites is ‘Dear Zoo’, the children seem to love it because they can react to the animals in the book emulating the sounds each animal makes and repeating the names. Even as a child I can remember enjoying reading books that encouraged the participation of the reader as Mum and Dad and I would look to seek out a certain character or a reoccurring theme.

I’m so grateful to have Lilly introduced to a love of literacy early, books have been a huge part of my journey and continue to shape my life today. From Spot the Dog as a baby to the Magic Faraway Tree to Shakespeare and beyond I’ve loved every part of my literacy journey and I hope Lilly does too.

To find out more about The Little Unicorn and the role they can play in your child’s early education go here.

BECOME A MUMMA CHEF WITH COURTNEY FROM MASTERCHEF

Courtney Roulston from series 2 of Masterchef

So I’m awful in the kitchen, Uber Eats was basically the best thing that happened to my world, not my waistline but anyway. Bec is on the other hand quite the little entertainer so she was excited to delve into a show with Courtney.

In this show you’ll learn how to whip up the perfect steak with an incredible sauce. Grab some dishes to take to a BBQ that with wow your friends. If you’d like a meat free night we have that sorted too. Amazing substantial soups for winter and you’ll also be adding avocado mouse with cocoa to your repertoire within no time and your friends will wonder how you got so clued in, enjoy Mumma Chef! 

So you want to whip up the perfect steak with an incredible sauce? You want to have a dish to take to a BBQ that with wow your friends? What about for those nights when you don't want meat, are you after some creative and inspirational meals without meat in them?