Elizabeth Bate is driven batty by cultural confusion over her son’s superhero party. When my husband, Martin, offered to dress up as Batman as a surprise for our son Sam’s fifth birthday party, I was enormously relieved. In this modern age of competition, children’s birthday parties...
Photographer Rebecca Welsch explores the importance of keeping our photo memories in a family album and not leave them behind on our smartphone. Let’s just cut straight to the chase - has the family album seen the last of its days? We are taking more and more...
Inspirational stories from mums juggling it all by Steph Adams and Samantha Brett. (Penguin Random House Australia, softback $39.99) The expensive cover of this softback coffee-table style book looked promising, covered with the head shots of some of the interviewees the authors canvassed about their life juggling...
Looking for some Easter themed books for the young kids? Here is a selection of new and older favourites to search for. Beautiful Eggs written and ill. by Alice Lindstrom (Scribble Kids Books, B/B RRP $16.99) Just in time for Easter celebrations is this beautiful board...
Dianne Krissansen lets the humble balloon become her party entertainer! Fortunes: Provide a balloon for each guest. Pour confetti into each deflated balloon. Write a ‘fortune’ or message on a small strip of paper and roll it up so it fits through the funnel too. Blow the...
Brooke Tasovac reflects on how the world of children’s parties has changed since she was a child. After celebrating my daughter’s first birthday six months ago, and with several of my friends planning their babies’ first-birthday parties, I’ve noticed how much children’s birthday parties have changed...
These cute little cupcakes from Donna Hay are ideal for a kids party or just fun for the weekend. Ingredients 1¾ cups (255g) self-raising (self-rising) flour, sifted ¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar 150g unsalted butter, softened 3 eggs ⅓ cup (80ml) milk 2 teaspoons...
It takes Cathy Watson a few years before she can look upon the absence of an invitation in her son’s hand with relief rather than despair. Mothers milled around the kindergarten door, waiting to collect their children. The party invitations sat brightly in the pigeonholes like...
After years of not fitting in, Brooke Lumsden’s son finally finds his feet. Entering the hall, I look around for signs of reassurance. There are only a few children – an upper-primary-age boy practising his spotting, a confident teenager full of rhythm who kicks up his...
Giving of one’s free time reaps rewards for everyone concerned, writes Lucinda Bertram. As Australians, we pride ourselves on our generous nature. While in some countries volunteer fire-fighters and lifeguards are unheard of, the situation in Australia proves that money doesn’t need to be a motivator....
