Luna Park: Shopkins and Grossery Gang Village

The school holidays are here!

Yes, we know... you suddenly become an event planner, calendar wrangler, kiddies entertainer, time manager extraordinaire.

You KNOW Luna Park is a no brainer for non stop kiddie fun (unlimited rides, anyone? YES! For kids AND adults) and now the iconic Sydney historical theme park is introducing the BIGGEST Shopkins and Grossery Gang attraction with an entire Shopkins and Grossery Gang Village! YES!

Featuring a Shopkins Swapkins Station allowing children to swap their Shopkins with fellow fans (so, it's Shopkins aficionado heaven) and a Shopkins and Grossery Gang Museum and Treasure Hunt, there will be daily meet and greets with Kooky Cookie throughout Luna Park, and much more.

Featuring every Shopkins and Grossery Gang character ever created, a selection of one of kind Shopkins showbags and merchandise and an exciting opportunity for guests to have their very own Shopkin design made into a real life Shopkin by entering the Design your Own Shopkin competition, the Shopkins and Grossery Gang activities are bound to set little hearts racing and provide endless hours of entertainment these school holidays.

In addition to Luna Park Sydney’s traditional rides, including the recently reinstated Tango Train with a modern twist, LED light show and state of the art technology for a faster white knuckle ride, a brand new experience will be making its debut at the park only for the holiday period – The Avenger. For the older and braver crowd, the ride spins on three axes. Think extreme adrenaline and extreme fun for those brave enough to strap in.

Luna Park Marketing Manager, Brendan Biddell said, “We’re stepping it up a notch these school holidays and offering something for the entire family – the little ones can let loose in the Shopkins and Grossery Gang Village, while the bigger kids and adults can enjoy all the thrills of Luna Park’s rides, venues, attractions and entertainment.”

“Having the Shopkins and Grossery Gang Village is something we are really excited about, it’s a national first and caters to the school holiday crowd - an audience that is constantly on the look out for some extra entertainment options over the holidays.”

As the weather warms up, Luna Park will not only be THE perfect Sydney day out for young and older folks (the ferries wheel! Coney Island! The dodgem cars! The Hair Raiser drop tower! That million dollar view!), you should stay tuned for the fun pop up exhibits like this, themed events like Halloween (Halloscream), and much more.

For all your questions on Luna Park, click HERE.

For more on Shopkins at Luna Park, click HERE.

You can explore the Shopkins and Grossery Gang Village, open daily during the school holidays from 10am - 4pm.

NOTE: ENTRY IS INCLUDED WITH YOUR UNLIMITED RIDES OR ANNUAL PASS WRISTBAND.

The Shopkins and Grossery Gang Village is open daily until 10 October.

And: it's exclusive to Luna Park Sydney. 

Follow Luna Park on Instagram HERE.

Follow Luna Park on Facebook HERE.

And here is a trailer for the Shopkins FUN at Luna Park:

Hi-5 'House of Dreams' Australian Tour!

Hi-5 is here, you guys!

They are touring Australia!

Hi-5 presents the 'House of Dreams' Australian tour, and you can come along and enjoy a brand new national tour with your fave five people:

Dream big this June and July school holidays join Hi-5 in their brand new Australian stage show, Hi-5 House of Dreams, when it tours around Australia from June 28 to July 15, visiting Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne.

The Hi-5 House of Dreams tour gives audiences an invitation to the most exciting “slumber party” ever! There’s not much sleeping but lots of singing and dancing and adventure when our favourite puppet Chats takes control of the Hi-5’s dreams and makes their dreams come true!

Using Chats’ Magic Dream Catcher audiences will travel through jungles, fairy grottos, underwater coral gardens, the Wild West, and even outer space!! This interactive and energetic show will have audiences totally immersed in the world of dreams.

Hi-5 House of Dreams is a whimsical trip into a fantasy adventure where you can catch your favourite Hi-5 songs – Underwater Discovery, Move your Body, It’s a Party and Living in a Rainbow and plenty of new songs with the Hi-5 gang – Stevie, Mary, Tanika, Ainsley and Dayen.

Here they are below, and details on dates:

The remaining 2015 national tour dates

Sydney – Concourse Theatre, Chatswood: 7-8 July

Perth – Regal Theatre: 14-15 July 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Join Hi-5 for their House of Dreams stage show as they travel across Australia this winter school holidays!

More about Hi-5:

Hi-5 was launched in Australian in 1998 with five dynamic performers entertaining children aged 2-8 with music, movement, problem solving and play.

The children’s musical group is well known globally, reaching an estimated global audience of more than 10,000,000 children across Europe, North America, Australasia and Latin America with its tours, music and TV shows. The Hi-5 TV series has consistently been one of the top three most successful pre-school shows in Australia.

Hi-5 has won three Logie Awards for Most Outstanding Children’s Program, five ARIA Awards for Best Children’s Album, five Australian DVD and Video Industry Awards, an APRA Award, an AMIA Award and a Helpmann Award.

Follow Hi-5 on Facebook here.

To book tickets, go here. Here you will see 

TwinnieWorld readers can win one of two family passes (valued at around $200 each) for the Sydney performances on Tuesday and Wednesday at The Concourse, at Chatswood for the 10am or the 1.30pm performance. For more about where The Concourse is and how to get there, go here. The show is one hour long, with an interval. For more about the show at this venue, go here.

All you need to do to enter is email me at: josiegags@optusnet.com.au - and let us know which time and day you want to enjoy the world of Hi-5 fun!

Winners will be drawn on Sunday night, and advised on Monday AM. You must email your entry for this one, as I need your full name and phone number so I can reach you!

My Kid Can't Eat This - Instagram Account

This new account on Instagram - @MyKidCantEatThis - is brilliant.

It brings together all the ridiculous excuses kids have to not that meal you prepared for them, which is always SUCH a fun parenting moment.

It has the subhead: Why your kid can't eat your terrible food. Tag your photos with #mykidcanteatthis to show up here!

Follow the account here. You can also follow them on Facebook here.

And here are some examples below:

The Top 20 Dilemmas of Being a Modern, Multi-tasking Mum by Anna Abignano

I love this.

My friend Anna is a wonderful human, a top mummy, an exceptional PR person, and… a witty writer!

She sent me this today and I knew I had to share.

So, in the spirit of Mother's Day and all the mothers out there who do a KICK-ARSE job, this is for you too:

The top 20 dilemmas of being a Modern, Multi-tasking Mum 

1. Trying to insert a tampon with acrylic nails.
2. Trying hard not to hit your husband with a hot pan when he asks “What’s for Dinner?”
3. Trying hard not to suffocate your husband with a blanket when he channel surfs while you’re sitting next to him folding washing.
4. Trying not to hit your husband with a tea towel when he is still channel surfing while you are still folding washing.
5. Trying not to get third degree burns while you’re balancing a sick, screaming toddler on your hip the same time as attempting to cook spag bol.
6. Getting carpet burn picking up every single grain of rice your 10-month-old throws on the floor, wishing you had floor boards.
7. Getting splinters from the floor boards picking up every single grain of rice your 10- month-old throws on the floor, wishing you had carpet.
8. Screaming your head off and doing a quick dive toward your toddler when you see blood pouring out of her mouth, only to realise she has strawberries stuck in her teeth.
9. Burning off ten kilos scrubbing Sudocrem out of the carpet.
10. Getting back pain picking up and re-folding the washing your toddler has decided to grab and fling all over the living room floor for fun.
11. Being in total denial at the mouldy smell coming from the load of washing you ran two days ago but are yet to hang up.
12. Skidding on milk that was spilt all over the kitchen floor two days ago, but you haven’t had the time (or the inclination) to mop it up.
13. Trying to remember what a mop looks like.
14. Not allowing your husband to touch your droopy, I’ve-breastfed-three-children boobs, then spending four hours a day researching new boobs online wondering if you can somehow disguise the cost of your new breasts on the joint credit card or somehow convince your Bank Manager for a new boob payment plan.
15. Hiding out in your wardrobe eating an entire block of Cadbury Chocolate Hazelnut. Comforting yourself that it’s ok to do so as it contains nuts, and possibly not good for your kids anyway.
16. Cleaning up so much poo that you’ve awarded nicknames to the different kinds of explosions: “Cadbury chocolate poo”. “I-don’t-feed-him-enough-fibre guilt pellets”. “She’s about to get gastro poo”. “Corn on the cob poo”. “What the f$#@ just happened poo”.
17. Rushing your daughter to emergency because she sustained first-degree burns on the hair straightener you forgot to turn off.
18. Finding yourself humming the tune to “Dorothy the Dinosaur” while you’re in the bathroom getting ready for a girl’s night out. Then getting in the car, looking in the rear-view mirror deciding you look like a Yeti because the last time you plucked your eyebrows was possibly three months ago.
19. Wondering whether to chill the wine at midday.
20. Not allowing your husband to touch your legs during sex because you haven’t bothered to shave or wax them for three months. Wondering if you can donate your leg hair to Carpet Court. 

About the Author: 

Anna Abignano (pronounced “A-bin-yar-no) is a very busy single mum of two gorgeous kids who never make life as a mother dull! She juggles motherhood by running her own freelance PR business, All About PR, and swears that one day she will own shares in a hair-colouring company seeing as a grey hair sprouts at least once a fortnight. Other than that, she has good genes on her side being told she looks 30 instead of 40. She is hoping it’s a compliment rather than a pick-up line, but honestly concludes it must be true as women tell her that, too. She is currently cooking dinner while her kids fight over the iPod.

This post was also posted at Josie's Juice here.

Best kept secret ever? 'Surprise' twins: VIDEO

I love this! It's about Sharon and Korey Rademacher and their newborn twins.

And it's going viral now. Watch:

Did you keep a secret about your pregnancy?

We did! We decided to not find out the genders of our twins. We had a boy and girl, and we only discovered this when they were born. SUCH a feeling of euphoria. I highly recommend not finding out. Don't worry if people tell you that you have to find out… you don't! You only need some white clothes and they'll likely be in bassinets next to your bed, right? Nothing blue or pink required there!

When we first found out we were having twins, my husband proposed the idea: "Let's not tell anyone!"

I told him it would be an impossible secret to keep. I was bigger than what I would have been at that stage of pregnancy and I got quite humungous - it would never have worked. The genders - not knowing ourselves… BEST SURPRISE EVER!

For this couple, above, they found out they were having twins in August, but what they did next was a little different.

"As soon as my wife and I picked our jaws up off the floor, the doctor walked out. Within a minute of the doctor walking out, my wife said 'Let's not tell anyone,'" Korey Rademacher told ABC News. "Literally, I was thinking the same thing."

The twins, named Maryann Grace and Brianna Faith, join their big brother.

To read more, click here.

Pat McDermott: 'Family Matters' Book - Interview

One of the Australian Women's Weekly's most adored contributors - 30 years and still going strong! - has released her book called 'Family Matters', based on her three decades of columns for the iconic magazine. Pat McDermott's much-loved 'Family Matters' saga has unfolded on the last page of The Australian Women's Weekly for all these years, much to the delight of dedicated followers. Her hilarious observations on her own family (five kids!) and their dramas, from toilet-training to weddings and beyond (grandchildren!), her long-suffering husband (MOTH, the Man of the House), an endless succession of beloved and badly behaved pets and just about every situation a couple or family can find themselves in, have kept readers amused and entertained every month since 1984.

Now these generations of readers can relive their favourite 'Family Matters' moments and new fans can be charmed by Pat's warm, laugh-out-loud anecdotes and confessions in this book.

This is the perfect book for every imperfect family - a treasure trove of wisdom, love and laughter from one of Australia's most adored chroniclers of family life.

"Children between the ages of twelve and 25 find parents embarrassing 95 per cent of the time. Any younger and they're so uncritical they think you look good in swimmers. Any older and they drop in just long enough to leave their laundry and borrow $50. If you want to embarrass your kids you have to strike when they're teenagers," says Pat.

And here, Pat sits down for Josie's Juice (TwinnieWorld sister site - reproduced her for you, dear readers) to answer questions about family matters, and why family matters.

Interview with Pat McDermott:

You really are an Australian national treasure - do you feel like an Aussie now that you've been here from Canada for all these years? 

      I admit it did take me awhile to find my feet and get used to the summer heat. It seemed that every bit of clothing I had packed was WRONG! But now I’ve been here for 40 years and I cheerfully admit to tearing up when I hear ‘Advance Australia Fair’ ( I really like it!), enjoying a green Christmas and developing a hybrid accent - I use all the right words but probably still sound a little different.  I think having my babies here, going through all their school years, making so many friend along the way has made me a real Aussie. One of my kids is a member of the Australian Defence Forces - and I am very proud of that. It really is possible to love two places and it helps that Canada and Australia are alike in important ways. It’s true…home is where your heart is. My heart and my family is in Australia.

      You have such a huge following as a columnist for AWW - surely this is some kind of publishing record… have you looked into that? 

It has been suggested that 30 years of Family Matters makes me the world’s longest running columnist. However, somewhere in the world there might be another writer bashing away at their keyboard for longer. I don’t like to risk making a grand claim.  I never forget running up with my ticket at a school fundraiser, thinking I had won the raffle with Green B12, only to find the real winner was Yellow B12.  It was a long way back to my table! I will opt for modesty here - but I think deep down…I may be the champ.

What are the systems you had in place to manage the raising of five kids? Some tips and tricks and how you get all those schedules (plus your own) in place. 

Everyone’s family and situation is different. But here are some things that worked for me and still do!

a) A sturdy filing cabinet. We have a red one with five big drawers - one for each child. All their medical records, school reports, most interesting art work, merit awards, ribbons and any other important documents went in their file.  I could put my hands on their vaccination records in 5 seconds flat. No one ever missed a school camp or excursion. It went on to hold passports (GAP years), CV’s, applications, university papers, references and many other important/interesting information.

b) I have a large white board on the wall in my kitchen. ‘If you want to be dropped off or picked up…put it on the board.’ They also listed food or birthday presents to be bought, school concerts, birthday parties, sports days etc. 

c) I have always kept a diary. I carry it everywhere. I learned to do this as a young journalist and I would be lost without it. Every mum should have a diary. It makes life so much easier. 

d) Be organised personally as well as professionally. I remember a teacher telling me he could always tell a kid from a big family - they brought their notes back on time.  Perhaps the more kids you have the more organised you are.  I worked to deadlines in my work life I was used to meeting them elsewhere as well.  I hate missing things or arriving late. I wanted my kids to feel the security of an organised home life. 

e) Buy a collection of good-sized, sturdy plastic bins. I have five with a child’s name on each. This is an updated version of the lovely chests described in the classic ‘Little Women’. One bin per child to be filled with their personal memorabilia. Mine are fully loaded….merit awards, school ties, photos, weird art work, all the lovely stuff from their school years. They don’t want their boxes yet….but they will!

f) Participate. Put your hand up to help with the cake stall, the P&F, the soccer team. When you contribute you learn and grow and I have friends from those days who are still very dear to me and me to them. Your kids will love it and if you do have a criticism or a suggestion it will be much better received if you actually put your shoulder to the wheel as well. PS: put your volunteer experience on your CV.

g) Sort your wardrobe. It’s better to have a small collection of clothes that work that heaps of random stuff on hangers. I want to be able to dress in minutes. I was fanatical about keeping the kids’ clothes in good order and ready to go. Hideous trying to get ready for some function or event and the one thing you (or they) need in the wash. I washed EVERY day for years. I IRONED endlessly while I watched movies at 1am. 

On the whole, the little McDermotts  were in the right place at the right time.  The MOTH?? That’s another story.

      As a grandmother (how many grandkids?), do you impart your tips to your kids?

      

      At this moment I have two little granddaughters.  I am hoping for many, many more!  I follow my late mother-in-law’s advice….zip the lip!  She was a huge support to me over the years but resolutely refused to offer advice. If I asked her for tips or suggestions or just confided a problem I had, she would think quietly, reassure me that all would be well in the end and then, sometimes, gently tell me something that had worked for her.

      Have there been moments when your kids - and even grandkids - have been a little mortified at stories you've recounted?

      I hope not. Perhaps the boys were a little critical at one time or another. Some anecdotes and stories include our own experiences and those of other families and friends.  Sort of a lovely, mushy mix of everyone’s lives.  On occasion, one or the other of my kids would wag a finger at me to say ‘NOT THIS ONE!’ 

      What does MOTH think of all your success? 

      He seems a little bemused. He is a rather quiet, self-contained fellow except when he is telling (and re-telling) very bad ‘DAD’ jokes. He is famous for forgetting punch lines which actually gets him more laughs than his jokes. He thinks I am just a little crazy and over-the-top. Sometimes he winks at the family and blames it all on me being from ‘blizzardly cold Canada.’ 

      How does it feel to have many of your stories now published in a book?

      It’s a lovely feeling to hold a nice, solid, good looking book with your name on the cover. (“Almost as good as a nice cold beer,” says the MOTH.) I have had two other books published some years ago. One of some very early stories and another called Pardon My Parenting - both out of print. But ‘Family Matters’ is by far the best looking and the most comprehensive because it covers many years of columns from older ones to ones just published. Choosing the columns to include was very hard…rather like naming your favourite child….when you love them all the same!  It also makes me feel rather organised to see them all in one place.  I must put a copy in the filing cabinet!

      Pat McDermott is a long-running journalist for The Australian Women's Weekly and author of the weekly column, Family Matters.

Pat McDermott is the author of FAMILY MATTERS, published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $32.99, on sale now

Disney Pixar 'Inside Out': Trailer

Get ready kids - and adults!

From an adventurous balloon ride above the clouds to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award-winning director Pete Docter ('Monsters, Inc.', 'Up') has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In the upcoming Disney Pixar original movie 'Inside Out', he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all - inside the mind.

Here is the very exciting, just-in trailer:

The movie blurb continues:

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control centre inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Disney Pixar’s 'Inside Out' will be released in Australia on June 18, 2015. (Classification: CTC).

For all social media links, see below:

#InsideOut

/DisneyPixarAUNZ

@DisneyStudiosAU

Christmas Lights Spectacular at Hunter Valley Gardens: Tickets and Info

The biggest festival light display in Australia, Christmas Lights Spectacular, has just kicked off again.

And nothing says 'Christmas spirit' quite like seeing 1.5 million festive lights showcased in the one spectacular place!

Now in its eighth year, Christmas Lights Spectacular at Hunter Valley Gardens is bigger and better than ever. This year the event welcomes five brand new displays, including themes from Alice In Wonderland, Winnie The Pooh and Candy Land.

And this year, TwinnieWorld is heading there and reporting back with a gazillion pics (see @josiegags on Instragram from next week!)

The extravaganza not only consists of a record number of lights, but also plays host to Santa until 24 December, and a firework display on the event’s opening night, New Year’s Eve and Australia Day. With so many attractions, this event is the ultimate way to kick-start your family’s festive season.

Kyle McKendry, General Manager of Hunter Valley Gardens says, “This spectacle grows each year and 2014 is set to be our most innovative yet! It’s fantastic to see the excitement on a child’s face when they see the lights and meet Santa for the first time.  With so much to explore, the Christmas Lights Spectacular is the perfect family tradition.”

This year, explore, eat, drink and be merry with a variety of food and beverage stalls. Experience Christmas carols until the 24 December, performances from Little Scallywagz, a big ferris wheel or get your heartbeat racing on the bungee (rides from 21 November 2014)! Christmas Lights Spectacular will be dazzling every night from Friday 7 November, 2014 until Monday 26 January, 2015 (excluding Christmas Day and night). Gates will open at 6.30pm and will close at 10.00pm. Roaming entertainment and performances will be open for the duration of the night.

Highlight for 2015 - Hunter Valley Gardens will also be home to an amazing new event, Mega Bugs! Starting from January 3, 2015, at no additional cost you can come and see giant creatures from the underworld in the gardens. Featuring Spider-saurus and a towering eight metre high Praying Mantis, plus many more creatures that move and make noises. Mega Bugs is a one of a kind showcase of giant creatures from 1 metre to 8 metres high that will be excite, thrill and amaze the whole family. Perfect for your next school holiday adventure.

Prices for the Hunter Valley Christmas Lights Spectacular: 

                                                                 

Adult $25.00                                             

Children (4-15 yrs) $20.00

Children 3 yrs and under FREE

Family (2 adults + 2 children) $77.00

Extra Child (with Family Pass) $17.00

Day + Night Adult $44.00

Day + Night Child $21.00

To find out more about the Christmas Lights Spectacular, call 02 4998 4000. In the event of wet weather, please visit the Hunter Valley Gardens Facebook or Twitter page or contact Hunter Valley Gardens to find out if the Christmas Lights Spectacular will be open.

For more info, go here: http://www.huntervalleygardens.com.au/hvg/christmas-lights-spectacular-2014/

To buy tickets, go here.

For more on the event and more spectacular pics, go here: http://www.visitnsw.com/events/christmas-lights-spectacular-at-hunter-valley-gardens

Robbie Williams: 'No Moms Were Harmed': VIDEO

I love this.

You saw the clips from Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field and the whole crazy-fun, delivery room experience, at the birth of their second child?

Here is what he wrote about it:

""No Moms Were Harmed in the making of these videos". Thank you for sharing the journey with us, we have been blessed with a beautiful baby boy. RW x"

And here is the now-viral clip (I love it. Robbie is a fun guy, she gets it. What a cool little family):