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The Royal Melbourne Show is back in town and I’ve joined up with some fabulous local businesses to offer one lucky reader the chance to WIN a Family Pass and $200 spending money.

 

Just imagine how much fun you and the kids could have with $200 to spend on whatever you want! (I’d be tempted to buy 100 Bertie Beetle showbags 😉 )

 

The show is Victoria’s largest annual community event bringing together the very best of entertainment, agriculture, attractions and fine food for a fun and memorable day out. Presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, the Show brings the country to the city for 12 amazing days from Saturday, 21 September to Wednesday, 2 October at Melbourne Showgrounds.

 

The Show provides visitors with a chance to experience the very best Victoria has to offer in agricultural competitions and displays, rural lifestyle, leisure activities, entertainment, food, wine, horticulture, showbags, rides and more.

 

For a great day out with family and friends, there’s nothing like the Royal Melbourne Show.

 

Thanks to Chocolate Freckles, Reuse It Baby Market, GO Festival and The Sweet Society, one lucky Melbourne Mamma reader will WIN a Family Pass and $200 Spending Money!

 

For more information on the show visit www.royalshow.com.au.

 

See below to Enter:

Entry is open to all Melbourne Mamma newsletter subscribers. Subscribe to newsletter here.

 

Competition ends Tuesday, 17 September 2013 at 11:59 pm AEST. Read Terms & Conditions below.

 

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

1. Eligible Entrants must be or become a subscriber to Melbourne Mamma’s newsletters. To subscribe click here.

2. Entrants must already be a liker or become a liker of Melbourne Mamma Facebook page, Chocolate Freckles Facebook page, Reuse It Baby Facebook page, GO Festival Facebook page & The Sweet Society Facebook page.

3. Total prize pool is valued at approx RRP $278.00.

4. Entry is open to Victorian residents, aged 18 years and over.

5. Giveaway commences on 8 September 2013 and concludes at 11.59pm 17 September 2013.

6. Winners will be notified by email and announced on this website. Any prize not claimed by 20 September 2013 will be redrawn.

7. This Promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.

 

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Today we’re getting to know Fatima from mor-stor.

 

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a mum with two boys, aged 4 1/2 and nearly 2. I’m a big foodie lover, so I enjoy checking out new restaurants and then giving them my ‘Masterchef’ tick of approval! My husband and I also love travelling. We have toned it down a bit since having the kids but I have a huge bucket list of places in the world that I still need to see even with the kids. Life before the business – I was actually doing the same thing but for someone else!

 

2. Describe mor-stor in one sentence?

Storage designed to be seen.

 

3. What do you sell?

Children’s and nursery storage solutions.

 

4. What led you to starting mor-stor?

I couldn’t find what I wanted when I had my first child. I wasn’t a fan of licensed prints and wanted something that I could pack all the toys in and leave it in the lounge room at the end of the day without it sticking out like a sore thumb.

 

5. What do you love most about what you do?

I get to test all of my products out on my friends – so it’s a good excuse to have a coffee catch up at the same time. ‘Can I come over and give you this sample to try out?’ Then I get to fit in work and friends at the same time. Working for myself has also been a huge bonus. On the days that I am not in the office I make the most of it with the kids and get some quality time with them. Also helps when they are sick as I don’t have to ring my boss and tell him I need a day off!

6. What’s one item you can’t live without?

Mascara. I would never leave the house without having mascara on. That would be the worst thing in the world for me. It scares me to think about it actually.

 

7. What’s one item your kids can’t live without?

I’m embarrassed to say this but at the moment it’s my i-Phone. They think my music playlist is pretty cool so on the way to school/crèche we have a boogie in the car and they get to choose the songs. I also have a few Apps on there that they play with.

 

8. Favourite place to shop for your kids?

Country Road and Seed. My shopping style is run in, grab clothes off rack and run out. I’m always in a rush so it’s just easy to go to these stores.

 

9. If you weren’t running mor-stor what other job would you like to do?

I am addicted to clothes shopping, so I would need to get a job at Country Road Head Office I think. I need color in my life so it has to be a textile based job.

 

10. Favourite place to take the kids in Melbourne or Victoria?

We actually try to do something different with the kids all the time so I don’t have a favourite place as such. I follow Little Melbourne and Melbourne Playgrounds on Facebook and I am constantly surprised at all the things you can do in Melbourne. So, we try to have a new experience all the time. For a weekend away though I have a soft spot for Lorne – the kids never tire of the trampolines at the foreshore, and I get my fix of café’s and Endota Day Spa. If you asked my 4 year old, he would ask me to take him to Pancake Parlour every day of the week, followed by bowling. Our local Pancake Parlour has a rocket with ‘nan’ and her wooden spoon inside. It takes off on the half hour with lights etc which they think is just awesome!

You can find Fatima and mor-stor on Facebook or at www.mor-stor.com.au.

By 44 Comments

LaManna Direct is a new kind of supermarket located at Essendon Fields selling the freshest 100% Australian-grown fruit and vegetables, an extensive array of top quality grocery lines, fresh meat, fish and poultry and delicious “ready-prepared” meals. A large variety of fresh cakes and pastries are also available.

 

The also have a fabulous cafe, so you can grab a quick meal or a coffee while you’re shopping 🙂

 

At LaManna Direct everything is under one roof to make your shopping experience a relaxing and enjoyable one.

 

LaManna Direct is changing the face of supermarket shopping with an emphasis on quality at low prices.

 

 

Thanks to LaManna Direct, one lucky Melbourne Mamma reader will WIN a $100 Voucher to spend in their store!

 

See below to Enter:

Entry is open to all Melbourne Mamma newsletter subscribers. Subscribe to newsletter here.

 

Competition ends Saturday, 7 September 2013 at 11:59 pm AEST. Read Terms & Conditions below.

 

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

1. Eligible Entrants must be or become a subscriber to Melbourne Mamma’s newsletters. To subscribe click here.

2. Entrants must already be a liker or become a liker of LaManna Direct’s facebook page.

3. Entrants can earn one bonus entry by answering the following question in the comments below “Where and when did the LaManna family open their first store in Australia?” (Check their website for the answer)

4. Entrants can earn one bonus entry if they are already likers or become likers of Melbourne Mamma’s Facebook page.

5. Total prize pool is valued at RRP $100.00.

6. Entry is open to Victorian residents, aged 18 years and over.

7. Giveaway commences on 29 August 2013 and concludes at 11.59pm 7 September 2013.

8. Winners will be notified by email and announced on this website. Any prize not claimed by 11 September 2013 will be redrawn.

9. This Promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.

 

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Only 4 more sleeps until Father’s Day (the second best parenting day of the year 😉 ) and if you’re still stuck for what to buy, you must check the fabulous items available at RedBalloon.

 

RedBalloon offer a terrific range of amazing and unusual experiences that will be remembered long after the giving. They have gift ideas & certificates available for over 2000 experiences, Australia wide.

 

 

My husband is an absolute nightmare to buy for! He already has everything (fabulous wife, 2 great kids, etc ;)),  and when asked what he wants for birthdays, Christmas etc, it’s always something for his bike or his sport (Ironman triathlon). Which means, nothing I can go and buy without his input.

 

Thank god on Father’s Day if we buy a gift they don’t like we can just blame it on the kids LOL.

 

Not this year though, as the kids and I have picked a fabulous gift for him from RedBalloon – a Shark Dive Experience at the Melboure Aquarium. YES, we do love him and NO we are not hoping he gets eaten by the sharks. My 3 yr old is actually hoping daddy meets a nice shark like Bruce (Finding Nemo).

 

Everytime we go the the Aquarium, the kids love to sit and watch the people swimming in the big tank. So when we looked at all the offers on the Red Balloon site, this was the one they both got most excited about.

 

Keep an eye on my blog, for a review on the dive and whether or not hubby became shark bait.

 

In the meantime, here are my Top 5 picks for Father’s Day.

 

Shark Dive at Melbourne Aquarium – Non-Certified Divers $220

Experience the huge adrenaline rush of coming face-to-face with a shark, one of the most feared creatures of the deep. Take the plunge inside Melbourne Aquarium’s 2.2 million litre Oceanarium.

 

Boeing 737-800 Flight Simulator 30 Min Experience $175

Fly to Rome, Paris, Buenos Aires, New York or Hong Kong. We’ve flown over 100, 000 clients and are the world’s only simulator available to the general public that is a Boeing Official Licensed Product.

 

Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari 360 Drive Experience $799 (on SPECIAL for $399)

Experience driving two of the worlds best supercars, get dad behind the wheel and he will drive a Ferrari 360 Modena F1 and a Lamborghini Gallardo.

 

 

Half Day Fishing Expedition $99

Come on board for a fishing trip on the magnificent Port Phillip Bay, just minutes from Melbourne. Give dad a chance at hooking a snapper, whiting, salmon and other season species – they are all just a cast away! During the fishing trip he will also enjoy a sausage sizzle lunch.

 

 

Sport Tour and Beer Lovers Experience $139

An unforgettable experience for lovers of sport and beer, taking dad behind the scenes of Melbourne’s leading sporting venues such as the MCG and Flemington. Plus, he will go behind the doors of the Foster’s Australia Brewery to see the past, present and future of beer and enjoy a free tasting!

 

 

 

Or if you want to be really cheeky, why not get him a gift that you can both enjoy; Red and White Wine Tasting Experience ($109), Steam Train & Overnight Stay for 2 ($26), Italian 3 Course Dinner, Wine and Cocktails – For 2 ($160) or a Wine Tasting and Winery Lunch – For 2 ($200).

 

If you want to grab a Red Balloon gift for your husband or dad, the vouchers can be emailed straight away to your inbox, so need to worry about them not arriving on time. Click, print, give. Done.

 

The experiences listed above are all based in Melbourne or Victoria, but RedBalloon have similar (if not the same) options available all around Australia.

 

If you give a RedBalloon gift this Father’s Day, I would love to hear how it goes.

 

This is a sponsored post.

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Here’s a selection of my favourite kid’s clocks.

 

 

1. penguin wall clock $29.95 from Funk Melbourne, 2. robot alarm clock $29.95 from Urban Attitude, 3. coo character cuckoo clocks $110.00 from Just Tickety Boo,
4. cuckoo print clock $65.00 by Blink Designs, 5. paddington wall clock $38.95 from Belinda Jane’s, 6. mamas & papas jamboree wall clock $69.95 from Tarbea,
7. unicorn clock $49.00 from The Coffee Apple, 8. magnetic learning clock $18.95 by Little Tyro

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How excited were my kids when the postman delivered a box for them with their names on it!

 

They were even more excited when they opened the box and saw what was inside.

 

 

Funky Elephant Trunks are a box full of children’s activities tailor-made for 3 to 7 year olds.

 

Funky Elephant trunks are home-delivered and come personally addressed to your child.

 

Trunks are full of creative, fun and exciting activities and come with everything kids need to complete the projects, all they need is their imagination.

 

We received a sibling box, so there were enough supplies for both my kids.

 

The theme of our box was Wind, and our projects were making a wind car, a wind chime and a windmill.

 

The kid’s decided they wanted to make the wind car first and volunteered their daddy to help.

 

First a quick check to make sure we have all the materials ready.

 

 

Time to decorate with stickers and drawings.

 

 

Next came the all important construction phase.

 

Miss 5 was able to follow her dad’s instructions and did nearly all of it by herself. Master 3 needed some help from daddy but was really pleased with himself when finished.

 

 

After some minor tweeking and a final check, they were ready for an engineering inspection by Miss 5.

 

 

Tick of approval from the engineer.

 

 

And it was time to race!

 

 

Our next project was to make a wind chime.

 

This was a very simple project that only required the kids to colour in the wooden heart pieces using the oil pastel crayons included in the trunk.

 

 

The kids were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn’t even notice I was taking photos.

 

Master 3 was so happy that he could do this one all by himself.

 


They were both so proud of their final product. Both wind chimes are now hanging near our front door.

 

 

The last project in the trunk was make a windmill.

 

 

This project required the kids to colour in the cardboard piece that spins around. They both needed a little help from me at the end to assemble the windmill.

 

 

This was a great project for Master 3 because it didn’t matter how well he coloured in the cardboard, it still looked fabulous when folded in the windmill shape.

 

 

Both kids only wanted to colour one side of the cardboard, which is why these are white on the inside. They’ve told me the will finish colouring the other side soon.

 

Overall, they had a great time creating these items and they have asked several times when the next “Elephant box” is arriving.

 

Trunks are available on a 2 month, 6 month or 12 month subscription.  The trunk is addressed to your child so it makes it all the more fun and exciting!

 

Great gift for a child that already has everything and a perfect idea to share with relatives when they ask what to get the kids for Christmas!

 

Visit www.funkyelephant.com.au for more information or to order your trunks.