Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Jump, Jump, Jump!


We've got something fabulous to entertain your little ones at our market on Sunday! Our lovely friends at Jumping Mania will be bringing one of their super fun and super jumpy jumping castles to St Ambrose Hall in Woodend! Bouncing is FREE for the kiddies all market long.

Jumping Mania are the people to go to for Jumping Castle hire. They have 3 castles to choose from: Mickey Mouse, Dora the Explorer and Batman, and all of their castles are cleaned after each use, ensuring your kiddies have a safe and fun experience! 

Check them out on Facebook or call Cveta on 0410 907 908 or email jumpingmania@live.com.au for bookings or further info.

Hope to see you Sunday for some Christmas Fiesta  shopping and fun.
9am - 1pm St Ambrose Hall, Corner of Ambrose & Templeton Streets, Woodend.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Amazing Christmas Fiesta Raffle!

Check out the wonderful items you can win just by purchasing a ticket for our Christmas Fiesta raffle! Tickets can be purchased at our Woodend market next Sunday. Make sure you come and visit us on December 4 at St Ambrose Hall from 9am - 1pm... One lucky winner will win this entire prize package, full of beautiful products from our stallholders!

All proceeds donated to SIDS & Kids.
   
 
 



Saturday, November 12, 2011

1 more sleep until our last Ballarat market for 2011!

There's plenty of reasons to join us in Ballarat tomorrow...

It will be our biggest market to date, with over 30 stalls of wonderful and unique handmade products!

Our market will be in conjunction with the Baby & Children's Expo, Ballarat, so there's sure to be a wealth of information for parents, plenty of activities for kids, and so much to see and do!


You might like to go exploring with Dora, have a dance with Dorothy
or a laugh with Elmo.

You may also like to enter our fabulous giveaway from Bohemian Secret Photography
(check out the details here).

These gorgeous items are from our Ballarat retailers:
Skirt from Bridie-Jane,
Skirt & Mini-Monster from Silly Milly Moo,
and wall art from Piggywinkles
 Check out our retailers list and start writing your shopping lists, Christmas is only 43 sleeps away! Come find us at Alfred Deakin Place, enter via Camp Street, or Police Lane, or through the Mining Exchange on Lydiard Street.


 We hope to see you there!


Thursday, November 10, 2011

All Things Nice - Shady Days

A retailer making an appearance at our final two markets for 2011 is Shady Days. A wonderfully innovative brand that not only has your kids looking stylish but also protects them from the sun's harsh rays... what a great concept.

Shady Days sells clothing and accessories for the 1-6 year age group and their garments take into consideration the recommendations of SunSmart, the Cancer Council of Victoria's internationally recognised skin cancer prevention program. This means their designs ensure high levels of protection for all young children who love to get outside. 

Here is the duo behind Shady Days, Colleen and Laura, to give you some more background on their brand... (thank you ladies)


Are you more sugar or spice?
Colleen - When it comes to sweetness I leave that up to the kids, or my not so infrequent snacks.  As for me, I’m definitely more spice.

Laura – I’m addicted to everything sugary and sweet but am definitely more spice myself.

What inspired you to start your own business?
Colleen - Despite my sun protective efforts for my daughter at a summer day barbeque, she still got too many ‘kisses from the sun’ a.k.a. sunburn.  Mortified, I went shopping for clothing that would cover her up in the sun, unlike the pretty dresses and strappy singlets she had in her wardrobe.  When I went home empty handed I thought I’d found a gap in the market that needed to be filled.  The Shady Days concept offered us a creative outlet in which we worked on a product we really believed in.  It’s even better when we receive affirmation from customers about the designs and the sun-protection concept.

 Laura & Colleen's little people :)
How did you name your business?
We wanted a name that was reflective of our sun protective message and design objectives but that also conveyed the fun and fanciful days that childhood is full of.  It didn’t take us long to settle on Shady Days.

What is your favourite piece from your own range?
Colleen - It’s hard to choose, but the family have been getting out and making the most of the spring sunshine lately in, not surprisingly, Shady Days gear.  I love the rugby top – it covers all the bits prone to sunburn with a collar and long sleeves, it is loose and comfy and easy to whip on and off.  Evey and Hugo wore theirs all weekend and they looked really good on as well!

Laura – I’m partial to our Peace, Love & Mung Beans! hoodie.  It’s been getting a massive workout in our house at the moment because it’s great for spring when the mornings are a bit fresh but the arvos heat up.  It can be worn all day long and protect the kiddies from all the elements we encounter. 

Where else can we check you out?
Our website is www.shadydays.com.au where you can see our full range and check out lots of sun protective information.  You can also check us out on Facebook.

We will be at Sugar & Spice's last two markets for the year. This Sunday in Ballarat and Sunday 4th December in Woodend.  We’ll also be attending the Piccadilly Market in Geelong on Sunday 20th November and Mathilda’s Market in Caulfield on Sunday 27th November.
You can win a Shady Days kaftan in our Woodend Christmas Fiesta raffle!



Sunday, November 6, 2011

Mudpies & Mudcake.

Our friends over at 1000 Homes of Happiness decided to make mudpies this weekend as part of the Playlist and I couldn't wait to join in the muddy fun, it has been a few (!) years since I've baked a mud pie. Miss Sugar however, was not convinced. "But I don't like pies Mum". Hmmm.

So we changed the menu! Cakes are definitely the way to Miss Sugar's heart, and we decided to bake Mudcakes instead. Off she went, hunting through my kitchen cupboards for cake tins and wooden spoons, and then raided her toybox for cake decorations and her chef hat... Mudcakes are serious business.


Over 2 hours later she was still busy creating, squishing mud between her fingers and asking me what I thought the mud would taste like. She would only come inside for dinner when I promised that we could do it all over again tomorrow - of course we can, we have the main ingredient in our backyard!

The thing I love most about the Playlist is that it shows how simple it can be to encourage outdoor play.

And so here is our secret recipe for Delicious Mudcake: (it's really easy)
STEP 1: Get outside!
STEP 2: Get bucket of mud!
STEP 3: Have lots of fun!
STEP 4: Repeat!