I am looking for a place to stay 4 nights with an 18 months old. Any tips of where in Sidney.
Donna @ Travel Toddler said: April 15th 2011 4:29 PM
Fabiana, sincere apologies that your email was missed! (We receive a lot of spam and your email got mixed up). I love Sydney and am happy to share a few thoughts…
For a short time in Sydney, definitely stay somewhere around the harbour, budget permitting. This will give you great access to most tourist destinations. I have always wanted to stay at the Park Hyatt myself, (hopefully soon)! Other popular spots to stay and visit include Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and The Rocks. Also, at 18 months, a lovely day out for your child could be a visit to Taronga Zoo and catching a ferry there is lots of fun. The views are magnificent! (Mind, the zoo is rather hilly, so a stroller may be rather handy for tired little legs). And of course you can’t miss the Harbour Bridge and Opera House!
For some extra information, including great sightseeing and accommodation tips, visit Sydney.com and Australia.com/Sydney.
Taking the whole family on holiday can be an expensive exercise, but knowing the tricks to finding cheap hotel deals can make a family holiday much more affordable. Check out discount voucher deals and last minute accommodation deals on the internet. If you book your accommodation less than 14 days before you depart you’ll find some amazing savings.
Another way to save on accommodation for your family holiday is to travel in the off-season at your destination. Resorts in Bali and Thailand, for instance, can be spectacularly cheaper outside of peak tourist seasons. You’ll also find great deals on flights and package holidays outside of peak seasons and in some places, even tours and shopping will be cheaper.
If you have small children look out for good deals on self-catering apartments, holiday rentals and resorts with kid-friendly activities. These keep the little ones amused, while you have some adult time to kick back and relax!
Choose a destination that all the family can enjoy, with activities suited to your children’s age group. Small children may be happy to just play in the sand on the beach and maybe visit a zoo or aquarium, while older children may want to meet other children their own age and have plenty of places to see and things to do.
If eating out is expensive in your destination, self-catering accommodation is a great option. This can save money, as you can prepare most of your own meals and can then dine out occasionally as a special treat.
Also, look out for good deals on tours and family passes. On Queensland’s Gold Coast, for instance, there are special deals on passes to all the famous theme parks.
With careful planning and finding the best cheap Brisbane hotels, an affordable, fun holiday for all the family is waiting for you!
Check this great post on Amelia Kelly’s blog, Tray Table. She does a great explanation of the “supplementary loop belt” in her post “Babies on the Plane”. This is the lap belt which fixes onto the adults seat belt, it is for infants to age 2 without their own seat, on planes in Australia.
Amelia is an Australian flight attendant for an international airline and wrote this great post in January 2010. If you’ve never flown with a baby before or are uncertain of the regulations relating to restraints for children on board Australian aircraft, this post is certainly worth a look.
Great news! The Easter Bunny LOVES carrot biscuits!
All the way from Easter Island, we have managed to source this great bikkie recipe. Its a great way to eat some extra carrots (in disguise) and a great school holiday activity. We’re going to leave some out for the Easter Bunny the night before Easter Sunday.
Make them at home, they’re easy and turn out great. Here’s how; 1) Cream 100g soft butter with 1/2 cup sugar (I used raw for the flavour) until pale and a little smooth.
2) Grate 3 medium carrots into the mix (I washed, but didn’t peel) or about 1 cup.
3) Add 1 large egg and stir.
4) Add 2 cups SR flour, stir until mixed.
5) Add 1/4 cup golden syrup and 1/4 cup craisins (you could use brown sugar and raisins, sultanas, chopped dates, even rolled oats if you have those).
6) Once combined, drop teaspoonful’s onto a baking paper lined biscuit tray.
7) Bake for 12 – 15 mins at 180oc (fan forced) oven, cool on the tray.
Makes 36.
Verdict – these are yummy and easy to prepare. They cook well and don’t spread all over your baking tray. I modified this recipe (from one which originally had copha and 1 1/2 cups sugar)…my version is sweet enough! I’m going to try them next with wholemeal flour. Also, they’re quite a soft biscuit so may work well as a slice.
While I don’t have strong childhood memories of the classic Disney movie ‘Mary Poppins’ I have often longed for her arrival at my home over the past few years!
But, during our last library trip (bless you librarian folk for tolerating us once a week), there it was! The Mary Poppins DVD, on the shelf, ready to borrow. And with our forthcoming staycation I thought it was just the thing for some ‘good ol’ family entertainment’ (ha, don’t get to write that much)! So off Mary went into our library bag for a rainy day.
If you’re not familiar with it, here’s some quick stats; released in 1964, directed by Robert Stevenson. Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Glynis Johns. And the storyline? A magic nanny comes to work for a cold banker’s unhappy family. Of course they’re not unhappy for long and soon us older folk are singing along to familiar songs such as A Spoonful of Sugar, Step in Time, Chim Chim Cheree and of course, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…
And the verdict? We loved it! It was a great show for the younger ones (ours being 2, 3 & 4) each enjoyed it enormously. And as I didn’t really recall the storyline it was a journey for each of us…the Carousel ride, the ships Admiral (and his cannon) and the delightful Mary Poppins herself with her carpetbag full of goodies. What a wonderful voice Julie Andrews has and Dick Van Dykes dancing…we need a chimney sweep like that (not to mention the maid and the cook). If only we really could have a tea party on the roof…our kids have already asked to have one!
So, this staycation I recommend a revisit with ‘Mary Poppins’ for pre-schoolers or other young kids. Perfect for a lazy family afternoon or Saturday night special. We’re going to grab a copy to keep at home for next time.
I say, ‘to beach’ it is! And yes, they were literally running…
Both of us adults in the family were brought up inland, so while the lure of the waves, sand and breeze does get us…its more of an island holiday or Queensland trip that gets us thinking ‘beach’. But, we actually have beaches only around 1/2 hour from us here and we have sadly neglected them over the years. For me it was the thought of Melbourne’s ‘bay’ beaches and my old theory that ‘no waves, no beach’. Mind, I am nowadays a real Melbournite and defend Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay beaches fervently! And the lack of waves is perfect for the little ones!
So, this stay-cation, on a beautiful autumn morning we headed off. The whole thing was magic – for the kids it was one big sandpit and an unconditional ‘get as wet as you like’ thing. For Mum and Dad it was all about having our feet buried, making sandcastles and the sound of the waves, seagulls and that other thing…what is it…oh yes, no kids arguing!
hot cross buns, its now officially pre-easter and I can’t resist them (ate morning tea on the way)
beach towels for everyone.
bucket and spades (raided the sand pit). And the bucket is great to bring your shells home in (show and tell, tick).
truck (our 2yo boy mainly played with this).
croc’s (easy on and off and good for checking out rock pools).
change of clothes (but why bother if the kids are dry when you’re getting back in the car and aren’t sandy).
lunch (ate on the way home). Don’t miss our Fridge to go to keep things cool for up to 8 hours!
What I’d recommend;
* If you don’t have one of those collapsible picnic baskets I recommend them. They’re great for tossing a whole lot of things together when heading out with the kids. You’ll use it a lot more than you think.
* Stuff it bags, I just grabbed one (from a row of them hanging in our broom cupboard) and filled it with our clean change of clothes. Another one for spare swim pants and wipes.
* If you’re like me and not keen to show off your beach body, don’t despair. I wore my swimmer pants under a light dress. There were no bikini’s there this time of year!
* Map out how to get there before you leave. I also goggled “best (insert your coastal area here) beach for kids” and read a few articles to choose one. Some had barbecue areas and playgrounds which would be OK if you were planning on going for a while and maybe had older kids.
* With younger kids don’t think you have to stay too long. We kept it simple and made it a morning trip – as our lot are fairly worn out after an active 1st semester at Kinder.
* coins – our car park needed coins to buy a ticket! And lets face it, with kids, park as close as you can I say.
So, if you’re not normally a beach goer, aren’t sure if your kids are old enough or worry about too long in the sun – pick a lovely autumn day and enjoy your staycation!
We are travelling to KL with our 2 daughters aged 5 & 2. Miss 2 sleeps in a normal single bed but with a bed rail. The hotel we are staying at cannot provide a bed rail for her (we will need on on each side) and we are having trouble hiring a set. Do you have any suggestions? We looked a DreamTubes but they do not allow the child to be tucked in. Thanks
Donna @ Little Gulliver said: April 8th 2011 4:43 PM
Hello Heide,
Thanks for your email, I’ve been happy to have a look and make some suggestions.
Dream Tubes
You’re right, the Dream Tubes seem like the best, certainly easiest, option. We have them on the radar for Little Gulliver, as we’re expanding our ‘Resting’ category. I hadn’t considered the tucking issue though. I must say outright that I haven’t used them, but I agree, certainly from the way they look there is no option to tuck under the tubes once installed. Its a shame as it seems like an otherwise perfect solution.
I would say though, generally, that the tucking wouldn’t bother our little ones. I would only worry about it for especially cold nights and would look at a sleeping bag or sleep suit to be safe. At least you should be OK there for your KL trip though (weather wise) and hotel rooms are generally nicely temperature controlled anyway. Just a sheet and blanket (even tucked in at the bottom) should be enough. And you could adjust with warmer or cooler pyjamas to suit.
I’ve also read a number of reviews on the Dream Tubes and people certainly seem to like them. The only negative I’ve heard about is the cost. For anyone who hasn’t seen them, they are inflatable ‘tubes’ you zip into a bed cover. This ‘You Tube’ video shows how to install them…
Magic Bumpers
These are foam bed rails. I’m uncertain if they can be purchased in Australia (but wonder whether a Clark Rubber or similar could cut out a couple to size)? They fit under the fitted sheet and mattress cover, so you may have the same problem as with the Dream Tubes, hard to tuck in. They would also take up more packing space, whereas the Dream Tubes fold up to the size of a beach towel. Take a look at the link and have a think. More on Magic Bumpers here.
Mattress only
Then, I wondered whether there would be room in your accommodation to do a little rearranging at bed time…could you potentially put the mattress on the floor? She may not like it though if her sister is in the ‘big girl bed’ and fiddling with the mattress could get a little annoying and too much work for a holiday!
Compact Travel Bed
Another thought is to consider a travel bed. They are either on or low to the ground, so worth a look. (Something like the Regalo could also be handy at home, when the inevitable sleep overs start)! I did a post about this you might like to check Little Gulliver Blog post – Compact Travel Bed.
Other thoughts
I’ve also wondered about the Toddler Coddler ‘Bedbugz’, but its looks like it may work the same as the Dream Tubes. I would also say they’d be harder to find in Australia then the Dream Tubes, as they don’t seem to have a local distributor?
Then there’s the Regalo Hide Away Bed Rail, but even if you liked them they may be too large for travel and awkward to install at your destination.
Hiring
Yes, I see what you mean about the hiring problem. It seems like you can get everything except for a bed rail! Here’s an article about baby equipment hire in kuala lumpur. It does suggest one hire/retail baby shop which you may not have looked at. Another thought could be to check if you can buy an appropriate bed rail to meet you there and maybe donate it (if it’s too big to bring home) before you leave? I’ve heard of people doing that before with strollers.
And finally
We have our 2yo in a bed too. We haven’t needed the rails though as its a little junior bed, so low to the ground. We’re travelling shortly for the first time since he’s been out of the cot, so it’s been good to get me thinking about what we’ll do. With your daughter though, as she’s in a normal single bed now, she may be already used to the height of the bed off the ground. Maybe you could try her without rails and have an assortment of pillows and blankets on the ground around her just in case?
I hope this post has been of some help, I’d love to hear how you go. Enjoy the rest of your planning and let us know if we can help again!
If you haven’t heard of a “staycation”, perhaps you’ve heard of a “stoliday” or “holistay”. What is it? Its a stay at home holiday! I love this concept and I think the idea is a great one for both parents and kids. Its the ultimate slow down and spend time together. Make the ordinary extraordinary – in your own neighborhood!
So often we get caught up in what we should be doing at home, but by embracing the staycation you are saying “no” to the vacuum cleaner and “stay away mop”. Don’t even get me started on the lawn mower! Swap the suitcase for your slippers I say!
To get your staycation happening consider the following tips;
1. plan how long you will be on your ‘staycation’ and stick to it.
2. organise a list of activities for each day
3. plan ahead if you need to buy anything beforehand
4. try and include something everyone will enjoy
5. include ‘special’ trips you don’t make often
6. make sure the whole family is on board – its not relaxing for you if someone starts cleaning out a cupboard!
7. stick to a schedule – try and be up and out of the house as you would on holiday
8. spend a day at home ‘playing’ – we parents may not take the time to really ‘play’ when we’re faced with the inevitable jobs around the house. Spend a day dressing Barbie, throwing the ball, building the best train track ever!
9. try and have a routine – just as the ‘maid’ would come in and make the beds in a motel – have everyone make their own, but must be done by, say, 9am! Do your other chores early and then forget them.
10. do your normal holiday things – take photos, send postcards, eat holiday food. Make your own at home!
Fabiana said: February 3rd 2011 9:59 PM
Another way to save on accommodation for your family holiday is to travel in the off-season at your destination. Resorts in Bali and Thailand, for instance, can be spectacularly cheaper outside of peak tourist seasons. You’ll also find great deals on flights and package holidays outside of peak seasons and in some places, even tours and shopping will be cheaper.
While I don’t have strong childhood memories of the classic Disney movie ‘Mary Poppins’ I have often longed for her arrival at my home over the past few years!
