There is a first for everything in this blogger’s
business, but one thing I am good at repeating is being late to post about
events- sorry about the tardiness but these school holidays make it so darn
hard to blog and keep kids occupied (lucky for me that are out the back playing
in the cubby house on this fine Summer’s day).
So the first for me was attending my first ever Kids
Business BBQ event, which I went with my sister as my partner had to work
(major bummer). I really wanted to show off how good Kids Business are at
putting on event, and how much he misses out on when I go on blogger Adventures
:0) Ok maybe I wanted to rub it in a little that my job is pretty darn good!
Kids Business Bloggers BBQ took place on Saturday
17th January 2015
At The Park Melbourne, right on the lake at Albert
Park and was once upon a time called The Powerhouse. I didn’t think much of the
venue when I saw the outer shell, although the scenery was just divine! But I
was gob smacked when I saw the inside and instantly went into wedding planner
mode and thought how beautiful this space could be for a wedding.
The chandeliers that hung from the roof were just
beautiful and Kids Business has a lot of room to play with and set things up.
My little ones Madison loved the open spaces as well as this gave her the
opportunity to run around and outrun her Mother :o) I do see why some parents
don’t bring their children to events now, it has been made all to clear haha.
So for me the Kids Business BBQ was a great
opportunity to get to know some brands, be apart of their great competitions
and maybe even look further on working relationships with them. Then there was
also the blogger side of things, where I had the chance to meet some lovely
bloggers and even compete along side them in a little challenge, which I will
talk about a little further down the line.
Our MC for the day was none other then Giaan Rooney
who I watch every day on TV and was a fan of hers in the swimming days. So to
be in the same room with her, let alone getting the chance to meet and chat
with her was a real dream come true for me.
Some of the brands that were at this bloggers BBQ
were:
ASG
Who is dedicated to supporting children’s education- it’s what they do.
Bloggers will have the opportunity to register their interest to road-test new
products and initiatives and kids attending will enjoy the on-site ball pit!
I actually won’t lie, I didn’t have time to head over
to this area as Miss M had me going this way and that way but I did have a
little browse will Miss M had her face painted.
Dyson
Introduced me to their innovative range of bladeless
fans- Dyson Cool.
I still cannot believe I was the lucky blogger to have
won a Dyson Cool thanks to Miss M and her amazingly photogenic face, we got to
take home one of the larger Dyson Cool Fans!
Watch this space as a review and more on Dyson will
follow!
Steggles
Gave us a preview of their brand new Just Eat It
range in Woolworths stores from late January. Steggles Just Eat It is an
exciting new range of pre-cooked chicken and turkey products developed to help
busy families, leaving more time to enjoy the fun stuff. Just Eat It at the
Bloggers BBQ in mini pizzas, turkey pasta salad, chicken salad, soft shell
turkey tacos, chicken baguettes and chicken noodle soup
I also took part in the Steggles Mystery Food Box
challenge, which was a little daunting to say the least; I was very nervous but
none the less put my brave face on.
Lucky little old me, actually won Giaan Rooney (who
was our MC for the day, and boy did she do a great job) over with my Summer
Greens Pasta dish and was picked as the taste test winner J I was lucky enough to take home a Jamie Oliver Cheese Platter and Knife
set, so I have to thank Steggles immensely and cannot wait to work with them further!
Life Like Touring presents the
Octonauts Live!Operation Reef Shield touring
Australian capital cities from 21 February to 28 March 2015. Live on stage for
the first time in 2015, Captain Barnacles and his trusty crew join forces with
a host of colourful Australian reef dwellers on a mission to save the Great
Barrier Reef!
Captain Barnacles even made an appearance.
Celebrate Health
Provides product for the next generation of healthy
people committed to eating food that not only tastes amazing but is within our
health requirements.
I got the chance to sample their delicious Tuscan
Meatballs, made using their Tuscan Meatball Recipe Base, and Moroccan Quinoa Salad
(made using their Moroccan Quinoa). I would say the Tuscan Meatballs won me
over, hands down and look so easy to make at home.
Passage Foods
Offer a range of quality, all natural products that
are hassle free and easy to prepare, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy a
diverse range of flavours from their celebrated world cuisines.
Another great little station where I was able to do
some taste testing of their Twice Cooked Pork Belly (cooked using their Asian
Master Stock) and Butter Chicken served with Basmati Rice, Kachumber Salad and
Naan Bread (made using their Street Kitchen Butter Scratch Kit).
I loved the butter chicken, and even went home to make
my very own.
Closer to Nature
Introduced me to their new advanced comfort range of
bottles and teats designed to reduce air congestion, which may cause colic.
AVG
Have developed interactive books for youngsters to
teach them online safety, and their Digital Diaries research continues to
provide some amazing insights into the challenges of providing our children
with security and safety online.
Another one I didn’t really go over to as it was “boring”
to Miss M and she didn’t want a bar of it, which also meant Mum had to pay the
price and miss out- it was the ball pit for us L
Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan will be
hosting DIY craft workshops for adults and kids.
This was my absolute favourite area as I am all about
creating new things for the home and making the old unique and feel more suited
to our home.
We are in the midst of renovations so it is always fun
to see new products that are out there and really see what I can do around the
home.
Inner Health Plus
may assist in maintaining the balance of good bacteria that may have
been disrupted. Balance of good bacteria is vital for good health. Only
available from Pharmacies and Health Food stores where you can get informed
advice about improving your health through diet, lifestyle and supplementation.
I actually left the event and passed a chemist, so
thought I would stop in to see if they had Inner Health Plus for Kids so I
could get my girls some. I had no idea all the benefits this product had and
was even recommended by a Naturopath- for me SOLD!
Bizzibrains
Creates personalised storybook apps with the aim of
bringing families less stress and more joy.
Released on January 7 2015 I learn is already featured
in iTunes Best New Apps.
Cocobella
Providing all bloggers and
their families with refreshing Cocobella Drinks and introducing to us the brand
new Cocobella Kids Range.
My girls would never really
drink coconut water with me unless I mixed something in it or if it was in
their smoothies. But FINALLY after an entire year I have found one that they
love and actually ask me for on a daily basis now.
We love our coconut water in
this home (well the adults did) but now the kids can be apart of our crazy Coconut
phase haa.
I am hoping to get a
review/post up soon with Cocobella so keep watching this space.
One of the major aims of the
day though was to help raise awareness about Camp Quality. Which I know
personally I had heard of but had no real idea of what they did, until after
this event.
Our purpose is to create a better life for every child
living with cancer in Australia.
Our role in the community is to meet the
direct needs of children with cancer and their families throughout the cancer
journey. This starts with diagnosis, through treatment, into maintenance and
hopefully remission. Unfortunately for 3 in 10 Australian families who have a
child with cancer there follows the move to relapse, palliative care and
bereavement. Delivered in primary schools, paediatric oncology wards, recreational
facilities and homes throughout Australia, our programs ensure that in a time
of great upheaval, our families are connected to a community of people who
understand what they are going through.
Just listening to the explanation gave me goose bumps
and made me feel sick in the stomach to think of heading into the Doctors and
to be told the horrible news that either one of my little ones had Cancer. My
heart really does go out to any parent in this position that knows all to well
about Camp Quality and what they do.
I am just so happy though to know there are organisations
like this out there willing to help and make the whole process just that tiny
bit easier on the families and those suffering through extremely hard times.
For every blogger who attended the day, Kids Business made
a donation to Camp Quality and in the end donated a $500 cheque to Camp Quality
on the day. But not only that Kids Business donated over $3000 made up of a
monetary donation and flight allowances for bloggers who will help raise
awareness for Camp Quality. It's a great achievement that demonstrates how as a
community we help a charity.
I am always so grateful to be apart of events like
this, and never ever take them for granted. I want to send out a personal HUGE
thank you to Kids Business for once again letting me be apart of the fun!
Until next time, that is all from me.
Xxx
Erin
