Another day of trying to entertain my older kids saw us at Charlestown to see Hotel Transylvania 3 (great movie) and then we went downstairs for lunch at Grill'd. Ok, so not the largest choice on the kids menu but they get a cool little pack with a drink, chips, burger and little wooden toy to build. Plus, I love places that offer colouring pens and paper. I was also able to pretend to be healthy by ordering the 'low carb' burger. Shhhh... I'm trying ok?!
Have you been to The Barn at Adamstown yet?
Now I swear this place was an old caravan that sold coffee not so long ago... well it's so far from that now! My older kids are on holidays (yes three weeks of entertaining to come) and we had some time to kill so I thought we would give the place a go. It is literally as the name says, A Barn, only with some touches of awesomeness! I mean how often do you go to a cafe these days and they offer dippy eggs on the kids menu? Plus KIDS size milkshakes. My kids were in heaven. After I wolfed down my smashed avo (I'm basically trying every smashed avo in Newcastle), we played a game of Guess Who because they have a large bookshelf with games and books for guests to play and read.
Logies Fashion
Ah the Logies... I have to admit I did not tune in this year... because well yawn...But I did check out what some of the stars wore on the night and here is a bit of a selection. Who was your favourite on the night? My pick was Elyse Knowles from The Block.
PEPPA PIG WANTS TO MEET YOUR FAMILY
You know Peppa right? Your kids have made sure of that! Well she's coming to Newcastle next week with her friends. We'll have a special guest from Peppa joining us on 'I Got it From My Mumma' Radio show next week and we'd love for you to WIN a Family Pass to the show! All you need to do is TAG a friend who is yet to LIKE our public @NHMNewcastlehuntermummas Facebook or Instagram Page and you're in the draw.
Here's a little bit about Peppa Pig's show! Surprise! Peppa Pig, George and their friends are back in Australia in a brand new live stage show PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE.
It’s a lovely day and Peppa is playing outside with her friends. Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig have got a surprise for her and her younger brother George but no matter how hard they try, they cannot guess what it is.
In PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE audiences will enjoy interactive fun, games and, of course, surprises. This charming, colourful new show features new songs and new life-size puppets. PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE promises to be the perfect theatre show for all pre-schoolers.
Suitable all ages
Duration: approx. 60minsBabies under 12months are free on the knee (no seat) Over 12months/toddlers require a ticketed seat. All tickets are the same price for adults & children by section (A Reserve, B Reserve etc). Win tickets with NHM or buy your tickets here before they sell out.
What Does it Mean to be a Dad? Dawson from Dawson's Creek
He made our hearts thump as teenagers now Dawson from Dawson's Creek oh sorry James is at it again talking about Fatherhood.
A few things I forgot between babies four and five: Dads, when your #newborn has been fed, changed, and is still upset, swaddle them up and hold them. Check in with them. Feel their face on yours. Talk to them. Rub their back, sway gently, hum, make the “swishy” sound in their ear to replicate the sound of Mom’s heartbeat in utero. If they’re still crying and it breaks your heart... that’s fatherhood. If you move past heartbreak into exasperation... that’s fatherhood. If they start screaming and you find yourself wanting to say “Oh, C’MON!” out loud... that’s fatherhood. If you feel helpless and inadequate and like you’re staring at a final exam full of questions you couldn’t possibly have known to study for... that’s fatherhood. And if you push through that... become more present than you’ve ever been, discover instincts you never knew you had, and summon up more love and patience than you’ve maybe ever shown anybody... and they either take it, or get tired, or finally work out that fart that was bothering them and fall asleep on your chest... and you suddenly feel like you beat the system, got nominated for a Nobel Prize and got told “I love you” by the first girl you ever loved... THAT’s fatherhood. Welcome... Glad you’re here.
LISTEN BELOW
Jessica Marais checks into mental health facility
Sending love to Jessica Marais this morning. News has broken that she's just has checked into a private mental health facility in Sydney to focus on 'a number of urgent health issues,' It's the same facility that AFL star Ben Cousins attended. It will set her back 25K a month but the care is round the clock, she has several counselling sessions a day and is allowed to leave the facility to go for a run or go to yoga. The program she's checked into is a 'detox and health' one. Earlier in the week she announced she wouldn't be attending tonight's Gold Coast Logies despite being up for a silver and a gold. She's been dating Hillsong devotee Sydney photographer Jake Holly since February.
New Information Found in Search for William Tyrrell
As mums we all must feel some connection to the case of little William who disappeared from his foster grandmother's house in Kendall back in 2014. So I've been watching closely as the search has resumed again. It was announced today that 'fresh information' has been found.
Stay tuned, hopefully we get some answers soon. Someone has to know what happened to this little boy.
GEMMA FOSTER MUM OF SIX TELLS YOU WHAT IT'S LIKE
We have a fostering crisis in the Hunter with children living in hotel rooms across the region. Have you ever thought about fostering. In our Podcast below Gemma tells you what it's like to be a foster parent.
School Holidays with the NHM
They're nearly here! Have you planned them yet? My oldest son is now in year 1 and our year have organised playdates throughout the holidays. We've organised them at a lot of fun places so I thought I would share it with you.
Hunter Valley Gardens - Snow Time in the Garden: Each July holidays our family will visit the snow time exhibition and it's definitely the closest to snow that I like to go! I do believe it is worth the money but you do need to try to get your full day's worth. This year you can ice skate, ride on the toboggan, build a snowman, have fun on the 9D adventure and watch live ice sculpting plus much more.
Ninja Warrior Parc, Darby Street: There are two sides to this place. One is the warrior side where the kids run through a set of different obstacles and the other side is the climb side where they are harnessed up and climb up various different climbing walls. Now, the climb side states it is really for 5 and up, however my 2 year had a great crack at it!
Holy Moly Golf or Strike at Charlestown: Stay out of the cold and be entertained for hours here. Holy Moly is a really interactive putt putt golf place that the kids will love. Then when you finish up there, Strike Bowling is in the same location.
Movies: There's a great selection of movies these school holidays. They include, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Incredibles 2, Hotel Transylvania 3, Avengers, Early Man.
Hunter Wetlands Centre Dinosaur Adventure: This is on form July 7 to July 21, between 9.30am and 1.30pm. There's an exhibition, reptiles, craft activities and a Dino search. Tickets are super cheap and $8 for non members of the wetlands.
Plus, Newcastle always has entertainment at the libraries, art galleries and museum. The reptile park, Hunter Valley Zoo are always great options.
LEGO PLAYZONE COMES TO NEWCASTLE WITH THE SUPERCARS
How cool's this? A Logo Playzone will be coming to Newcastle with the Supercars in November! This doesn't mean Lego is just chucked in an area for your kids to play with and parents to step on (OUCH!) It's a full on activity zone with fun challenges for the kiddies and awesome interaction. There is also going to be involvement of the teams who will band together to build a Lego car!
So exciting!
POPULAR NEWCASTLE VENUE THE EDWARDS UP IN FLAMES
Carey Harris
Really sad news this morning for Chris and the team at the much loved Newcastle Venue The Edwards.
Firefighters worked through the night to extinguish a fire that broke out in the kitchen of popular bar The Edwards.
Chris from Silverchair of course owns the bar and converted it from a laundromat into a food and music venue back in 2014.
After the fire broke out in the kitchen it escalated quickly and emergency fire crews were called at midnight.
The area was quickly closed off to any traffic or passing foot traffic and smoke was encased the bar’s surrounds. Then the roof caved in!
Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Peter Nies said told 9NEWS that multiple crews were called to the scene but the fire was tough to put out due to the nature of the building saying
“It was a difficult fire to extinguish, especially because the roof has collapsed,” Adding
“We had a fourth alarm on this fire - which is eight stations and two aerial trucks.
“There were a lot of firefighters here, but just the nature of the building 9meant it was)really difficult to extinguish.”
HELP! MUMMA MOTIVATION FOR WET DAYS
How hard is it to get motivated on wet days with the children? There are plenty more in store so here's some ideas for you! Chameleon Play Cafe in Wallsend gets a great wrap as does Kotara Playgound Area at the Shopping Centre. You can also google your closest 'Playgroup' or ask the Mummas on NHM the one that's closest to you. One Mumma recommended popping on gumboots and raincoats and jumping in puddles! That's brave. Check out your local Library's 'Storytime'. If you feel like heading into town too, the Museum has a great play area too and you can grab a coffee too. Kids of Thunder Cafe in Mayfield are getting heaps of good reviews too but we haven't checked it out yet. Other ideas Unexpected Escape Rooms and Unreal VR. Otherwise you could just stay inside all day in your PJs and don't feel bad about it either!
Here's a great reason to keep eating that chocolate!
Ok, so the study is only related to the effects of dark chocolate, but I'm not really complaining! A recent study shows that chocolate with a high level of cacao can have positive effects on stress, memory, mood and your immune system.
So, my recommendation for us busy mums, is to grab that dark chocolate and that bottle of red because remember it can lower the risk of heart disease, and put your feet up!
WINE-DOWN TIME TOP HUNTER VALLEY VINEYARDS TO VISIT
What about a wine by the fire somewhere? We're so lucky to have the Hunter Valley next door and NHM are proud to present the Wine-Down Weekend an experience for you to win coming up soon, check out the details here.
Here are some ideas for your next visit to the Hunter Valley.
MARGAN WINES
Lisa Margan and daughter Alessa
Margan comes in at our favourite vineyard in the Hunter Valley to visit. It's so beautifully set out and the Restaurant is widely regarded as the best in the Hunter Valley. It's located in Broke Fordwich, home to several of beautiful vineyards, a ultra modern winery, a beautifully styled Cellar Door and an award-winning restaurant. The culmination of these things makes this an unforgettable experience.
1238 Milbrodale Road, Broke NSW 2330
AUDREY WILKINSON
Audrey Wilkinson is one of the oldest wineries in the Hunter Valley in a prime location at the foothills of the Brokenback mountains. The staff here are very attentive and knowledgable the winery produces a selection of elegant, regionally distinct wines that are top class. The views are amazing too, you can see right across the valley. If you're a white fan try the Semillon, it comes with a recommendation from James Halliday. The chardonnay and shiraz are good too.
750 De Beyers Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320
TAMBURLAINE ORGANIC WINES
I met a girl the other day that was a massive Tamburlaine fan. She can only stomach organic wine and she said the great thing about Tamburlaine is that the wine is actually good! I'll second that I've had Tamburlaine a number of times and really enjoyed it. The vineyard is named after Christopher Marlowe from the Genghis Khan period known for being a fearless leader. The Cellar Door is welcoming and chilled out and they also offer Lodge accommodation if you want to indulge in the wine a little more!
358 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320
TULLOCH WINES
Tulloch wines go back over 100 years. They're well known for quality and as a wine you can count on to be good. You can sample chardonnay, shiraz, semillon and more from the Cellar Door. The staff have been described as 'friendly, knowledgable and passionate' by punters, nice wrap. The cheese board is also well noted.
638 De Beyers Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320
TYRRELL’S WINES
Tyrells make great wines and have been around for 150 Years. Their wines are distinctive and always good. Their many years as winemakers have resulted in good quality vines. People have commented on it's beautiful setting and said they were made to feel very welcome. They are also said to be more polite than other vineyards in that they don't 'rush you' to move on and make you feel like a number. Their famed ‘prince of white wines’, Hunter Valley Semillon is their most famed wine but they have many good ones.
1838 Broke Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320
DE LULIIS
I got a great sparking wine stopper from De Luliis! No it was a great experience there, I particularly enjoyed the Sparkling. It was a little rushed in some respects though and we weren't offered any food. The vineyard was purchased in 1987 by Joss and Anna. Michael De Iuliis is now the Head Winemaker he says he try to achieve 'balance and harmony' in the wine he produces.
1616 Broke Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320
PETERSONS WINES
Petersons mantra is tradition and continuity. Petersons has lots of fans and has won many awards since 1981. Ian Peterson bought an old dairy farm at Mount View, Hunter Valley and established 10 acres of semillon grapes to supply a nearby winery. Then he expanded to chardonnay, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. I particularly like their sparking! They also have four Cellar Doors to experience,
552 Mount View Road, Mount View NSW 2325
HOW ABOUT A TRIP TO BARRINGTON TOPS?
Have your kids seen snow? How about a trip to Barrington Tops? Our Mummas have been talking about it and this is what they had to say. Mummas said it was great even if it wasn't snowing. It's recommended if you do go during the times when it's snowing you take a 4WD and an experienced driver. You can take a 2WD if you take chains with you.
Get an up to date report on conditions here and contact Manning-Great Lakes Police 02 6552 0399. If you're worried that the gates might be closed due to conditions. You should also check out the Barrington Tops Snowchasers Facebook Page here.
A good place to go are Polblue Campground. Mummas have recommended if you want to do a day trip make sure you leave early around 4am or so. Take lots of blankets to warm up after you get back in the car. It's also recommended you take extra clothes for after you get back into the car.
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, ALDI CAN DO BETTER
A friend of mine has a kitchen and even though my children have way too many toys my little girl plays with it all the time so you can imagine my excitement when I saw this in the latest BIG W catalogue, how great. Then I got the ALDI catalogue and saw this one? I figure ALDI have employed some top notch spies, how do they know the exact right product to being out at the same time as everyone else. ALDI's is also more expensive, there's a first. I wonder which one is better? What is your favourite ALDI copycat product, I love the try hard Dr Oetker Pizzas.
CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF DISNEY ON ICE WITH NHM
NHM want to send you and your family to the opening of the Disney on Ice on Friday July 13th at 7pm. They're celebrating 100 years of magical moments in its latest show and we want to send you along. Every minute of the show is filled with amazing Disney characters that your kids will recognise such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.
The new kids on the block Frozen’s Anna and Elsa will also be there. The show will also feature Toy Story characters, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and more.
Buy tickets to the show here from July 13 to 15 at Newcastle Entertainment Centre or win them with NHM simply by Liking our public NHM Facebook page here and tagging a friend that doesn't like us yet. I mean what's not to like? Haha
DON'T SHARE HIS NAME
We were relieved on Friday to discover that the alleged attacker is now in police custody. We're not sure if that was the correct lead but one of our Mum's tipped off the police about a red commodore they'd seen in the area that was by the side of the road, with clothes strewn across the dash. Several hours after that the suspect was nabbed by police. We are aware that several people have been sharing the accused's Facebook profile and name, the police have asked us to spread the word not to do this and that it's detrimental to the case.
COUNCIL'S SET TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR OUR KIDS
Are you like me? Stressing out every time you've seen a child walking alone in the last couple of days? Most of the Mums I have spoken to since the beginning of the week have said they're no longer letting their kids walk alone anywhere. The Newcastle Herald has reported that they are going to try and create a safer environment for our children by improving the visibility at parks across the city. It's been reported that changes will be swiftly made to parks where “sight lines” can be improved to increase public safety. Bollards are to be installed at the Terrace Street entrance to Hudson Park and medium high vegetation will be ripped out and replaced with grass.