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Sept/Oct School Holidays Guide 2022

Melville Mums
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Sept/Oct School Holidays Guide 2022

We’ve partnered with local businesses to bring you our September/October School Holidays Guide and help keep the kids entertained over the school break.

Use the quick links below to view more info – keep checking back as we’ll be adding more to the guide as the school holidays get closer.

If you’d like to be a part of the guide, contact us at hello@melvillemums.com.au for more info.

Art School – Guardian Jumpers (Applecross)

ART SCHOOL
Let the art of Tarryn Gill inspire you this September/October school holidays!

Design and create your very own wearable artwork inspired by Tarryn’s Guardians series. You will be invited to explore Tarryn’s art-making processes, and create a personal talisman on a t-shirt or jumper to protect and watch over you – and keep you warm! Across two-half day workshops, participants will be mentored by Tarryn through the process of designing and developing their own guardian figure in wearable form, stitching and embellishing their character on to a t-shirt or jumper. Each session is three hours long, and children attend independently of their parents / carers. 

Dates
Thursday 29 and Friday 30 September
Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October
Please note – this program runs across two days. 

Times
10am – 1pm each day (across two days)

Cost – $60

Who can attend? 
Guardian Jumpers is roughly designed for children aged 8-12. Get in contact with us at arts@melville.wa.gov.au if your child if outside of this age bracket and you would like them to attend. Children attend the sessions independently of their parents / carers and are supported by City of Melville staff throughout the sessions.

Bookings: Book via Eventbrite at https://artschooltarryn.eventbrite.com.au

Batherapy (Ardross, Booragoon)

Kids only bath bomb, bath slime and soap making sessions available these school holidays.

Make halloween themed as well with ghost and pumpkin moulds and decorations!

Bookings: https://batherapy.com.au/pages/kids-sessions-ardross-booragoon

SPECIAL OFFER – 20% off code for 2 or more bookings with Melvillemums

Djilba Art Box

Get creative at home with a new Art Box delivered straight to your doorstep for the September/October school holidays!

Unlock your imagination as you and your little art lover unpack ten new fun and engaging activities created by WA artists. This second limited edition ART BOX is designed for school age children (5 to 12 year olds) and includes all the materials you need to go on an artistic adventure in the winter school holidays.

Unleash your creativity, explore new ideas, and unpack a box of fun – all without leaving the house!

Book via Eventbrite at https://djilbaartbox.eventbrite.com.au

Eye-Spy Detective Club (Leeming)

The Bullseye Sensory Clinic in Leeming is running the Eye-Spy Detective Club, a school holiday program that features small group activities led by our occupational therapists.

Suitable for children aged 6 to 10 years old, the program will work on:
– Social Thinking: Self-awareness, emotional regulation strategies, Social and emotional flexibility, including being adaptable.
– Building confidence, coping skills, and resilience.
– Fine motor skills, motor planning, and organisational skills.
– Team games involving: collaboration, idea sharing, turn-taking, solving problems, role-playing, using imagination, and having fun!

WHEN: The three-session program runs from 10am – 12.30pm
Week One: Tues 27th, Wed 28th & Fri 30th September OR
Week Two: Mon 3rd, Wed 5th & Fri 7th October

For more information or to register your interest email therapy@bullseyeclinic.com.au

Family Pottery – Not Yet Perfect (Applecross)

Join Not Yet Perfect in Perth for this taster pottery workshop. This beginner-friendly class is perfect for the whole family to enjoy! 

Over two hours, get creative and have fun with the kids as you experience the beauty of the pottery wheel and hand building. This is the perfect opportunity to get the family together to bond over squishy, playful clay. 

Learn the ins and outs of pottery, get messy and find that child-like passion that lives in all of us as you take the pottery wheel to make beautiful objects.

At the end of the class, return home with your fired/glazed pieces (optional) and the confidence to continue trying wheel throwing pottery!

Where: Goolugatup Heathcote, Applecross

When:
Thursday 29th September 10am-12pm
Saturday 1st October 12-2pm
Tuesday 4th October 10am-12pm
Saturday 8th October 12-2pm

Bookings: For more information and to make a booking, head to the ClassBento website

Tackers @ EFYC (East Fremantle)

Tackers is a fun introductory, games-based sailing course designed for kids aged 7-12 years. Kids don’t need to have any sailing experience or club membership to participate, however they will need to be able to swim 25 meters unassisted to complete this course. All the equipment, including the boats are provided. The Tackers Program is delivered in small groups by an Australian Sailing Qualified Instructor and Assistant Instructors.

There are two levels that kids can progress through:
Tackers 1 – Having fun. Kids sail in pairs in small boats. It’s a great way to meet new friends and kids will have the chance to sail with others in their group.
Tackers 2 – Tricks & techniques. If kids are confident, they can sail a boat on their own with lots of support, supervision and encouragement from the Instructor and Assistant Instructors.

Cost: $200

Next Course Dates:
Tackers 1 – Tuesday 27th – Friday 30th September (8.30am – 12.30pm)
Tackers 2 – Tuesday 4th – Friday 7th October (8.30am – 12.30pm)

For more information please email activities@efyc.com.au

Website: https://www.efyc.com.au/kids-sailing-courses/

For even more kids activities and classes, make sure to check out our local business directory. You can also head to our What’s On calendar to browse events happening in the local area.

6 Fun Challenges for your Kids to Try at Home

Melville Mums
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6 Fun Challenges for your Kids to Try at Home

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how many toys are strewn across the house, or how many different activities you have on the go, kids will still claim they’re bored! If your little minions are climbing the walls and you need some serious inspiration, then we have six challenges to do at home to keep them (and you) entertained!

We have some blindfold drawing to reveal the creative critters, some tricky chopstick manoeuvres to master and the chance to turn your home into the scene of a lava-spewing volcano – watch your feet! 

Drawing Blindfolded Challenge

Get creative before even starting this challenge, by making your own unique blindfold. You could use anything from a tie, to a scarf, or socks stuffed into a diving mask! As long as you can’t see anything, then you are ready to play. 

  1. Put on the blindfold
  2. Put a pen to a blank piece of paper
  3. Decide what you are going to draw, then create your masterpiece!
  4. Take off the blindfold and see what you have made…

It’s surprising to see what you have actually drawn compared to what you think you have drawn. Our advice is, start simple before attempting anything too complicated – so start with a cow rather than a full farm!

LEGO Challenge (Brickit app)

This Lego-inspired app is genius! Pull out that huge box of mis-matched Lego and let the app do the rest! It basically scans every piece of Lego and produces ideas for what to build with it. Every idea comes with instructions, so you’ve essentially got multiple new Lego sets at your hands, just without the packaging – brilliant!

It’s simple:

  1. Download the Brick-it app
  2. Scan your Lego
  3. Select which of the Lego creations you’d like to build
  4. Make it – or should I say, get your kids to make it – who is this challenge for again?!
  5. Share your work of art with your friends (if you like the praise!)

The app is only available on the Apple app store for now, but the android version is on its way.

Jelly Bean Chopstick Challenge

A good challenge is simple to execute, tests the abilities of the player, and most importantly, fun! This is a prime example of a great challenge that can be enjoyed by the whole family! 

  1. Place one bowl of jellybeans in the middle of the table
  2. Place an empty bowl in front of every player and a pair of chopsticks
  3. Set the timer for 30 seconds, and go!
  4. Pick up as many jellybeans as possible and place them in your empty bowl – just using your chopsticks
  5. The winner is the player with the most jellybeans in their bowl at the end of the 30 seconds

Disclaimer – this challenge may lead to some major sugar highs and have your kids bouncing off the walls…!

No Thumbs Challenge

Who knew thumbs could be so handy? (excuse the pun!)

This challenge will have you laughing no end at each other, as you attempt to complete basic tasks without using your thumbs! You can actually buy a glove which holds your thumbs back, but for our DIY version, feel free to use good old gaffa tape or a bandage.

Here are some suggestions of what tasks you can give the kids to complete…

  • Open a biscuit wrapper
  • Write the alphabet
  • Make a sandwich
  • Open a locked door
  • Pick up a pack of playing cards strewn across the floor
  • Crack an egg

You’ll find that once you start looking, you’ll find plenty of other potential tasks around the house – you could even cleverly get the kids to help with the chores – like emptying the washing machine and hanging the clothes on the clothes line!

Other Hand Challenge

Most of us are either right-handed or left-handed, if you are ambidextrous then you might find you are the hero of this challenge! The game is simple, just use your less dominant hand to complete a task, it will produce surprising and hilarious results. How can one hand be so much less capable than the other?! Here’s a few ideas for the kids to have a crack at:

  • Draw your house/pet
  • Brush your teeth
  • Catch a ball
  • High five
  • Play table tennis
  • Spread butter onto a piece of bread

One things for certain, it’ll give you a whole new appreciation of your hands! 

Floor is Lava Challenge

Kid have amazing imaginations, which makes this challenge a winner. Gather all their mates together to make it even more exciting. You will have to set up the game for them, then watch them run riot!

You could be anywhere – in the garden, at the playground, or in one of the kid’s bedrooms. Whenever you shout ‘LAVA!’, everyone has to pretend that the floor has turned to lava and they have to get off the ground quickly! You’ll see them jumping up onto the sofa, scrambling up trees and even climbing each other to escape the heat!

Other blog posts you might like:

Learning a second language: 5 amazing proven benefits

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Learning a second language: 5 amazing proven benefits

Experiencing the world with only one language at your disposal is like only using the default applications on a computer when you have an entire app store at your fingertips.

And there are numerous benefits waiting to be discovered when you decide to learn a new language.

Let’s first talk about technique

Immersion-based learning is the most effective type of language learning, as it allows student to learn and respond to authentic language: the words, grammar, dialect, slang, and more.

This method truly works because the student has no choice but to communicate in that language: the same way everyone learns their native language! And get this: immersion-based students are shown to achieve as well as, and in some cases better than, non-immersion schools of teaching.

While the adoption of new languages tends to come easier to children over adults due to their enthusiasm and faster linguistic processes, it’s also shown that adults can rely on using their native-like brain mechanisms to give themselves an advantage as well.

So why should you learn a second language? Here are five of our favourite benefits:

1. Become more familiar with the language’s culture

The accent, the slang, the verbal cues and the history of the language will help you understand and appreciate its history.

2. Interact with people around the world 

Break your boundaries of only having one way to interact with the world. Give yourself the advantage of knowing a second language: this special ability opens up a communication channel for millions of new people you couldn’t talk to otherwise.

3. Develop a better understanding of your own culture

By learning a second language (and its history), you’ll easier see the connections between its culture and your own. As Geoffrey Willans said, “You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.”

4. Appreciate art in its original form

Visit the museum, attend a foreign event, or spend time in a new part of your city with the ability to understand the language and speak to the people. No translation needed!

5. Enjoy profound mental and physical benefits

Boost your mental processes, get major cognitive benefits, and even ward off Alzheimer’s disease! Downloading a new language into your operating system will improve your memory and increase your attention span, as it challenges and grows the brain. And the acquisition techniques required to learn a second language can easily be applied to other areas of your life.

As the Founder & Director of Mandarin Stars since early 2008, Dawna Leung has pioneered the Mandarin Stars programs in Australia as a true labour of love. Motivated to create the Mandarin Stars programs for her own children, Dawna and the Mandarin Stars team now deliver their curriculum across Australia and also in Europe. Learn more about Mandarin Stars and book a free trial on their website.

10 Hobbies you can do at Home

Melville Mums
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10 Hobbies you can do at Home

If you want a new hobby but you’re looking for something you can do without having to leave the house, we’ve put together a list of hobbies you can try at home. You don’t even have to get out of your pyjamas!

1. Cooking

Want to make gnocchi from scratch, or would you love to learn how to make authentic Indian dishes? Virtual cooking classes are a fantastic way to hone your culinary skills in your own kitchen. Some classes even include a craft kit delivered to your door!

2. Painting

Try your hand at some artwork – there’s no limit to what you can create. You don’t have to be an artist, it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, and you’ll find that it’s actually quite relaxing. If you prefer something with a bit more direction, try doing paint by numbers.

3. Gardening

Do you have what it takes to look after a plant collection? Do you watch Better Homes & Gardens and wish you could have an indoor or outdoor garden like that? There’s so much to learn, but so many resources are available if you make the decision to start. Gardening Australia have some great tips for beginners. If you want to start small and stay indoors then check out this list with 10 of the best house plants.

4. Meditation

If you’re looking to be more balanced and peaceful, maybe meditation is for you. You couldn’t choose a calmer hobby! There are plenty of apps or YouTube videos that you can listen to. Headspace is a great starting place for beginners to meditation, and you can download it on your phone too. “Meditation and mindfulness for any mind, any mood, any goal”.

5. Jewellery

Making your own jewellery can be time-consuming, but very rewarding. You can make new pieces to update your wardrobe or perhaps make them as gifts for friends and family. If you master the skill then you could even sell them on the side. You could start with something simple like a bead bracelet and work your way up. Spotlight stores have a fantastic selection of jewellery supplies and tools.

6. Sewing

If you’re someone who always wishes that you could make your children’s clothes or alter your own clothes, then learning how to sew could be the hobby for you. It’s so practical for those small and big fixes or creations. Missy Rose has put together a great list of videos to learn how to sew online for beginners.

7. Journaling

Journaling can be wonderfully therapeutic. It has so many benefits including reducing your stress and anxiety. It also helps you learn from your experiences. It can improve your communication skills because you get better with expressing yourself the more you write. Research definitely shows that keeping a journal helps you sleep better. Big ticks all around! The Five Minute Journal is a bestselling, easy-to-follow journal with guided prompts such as weekly challenges, gratitude, daily highlights, inspirational quotes, daily affirmations, and self-reflection.

8. Upcycle

If you like the thought of turning your trash into treasure, then upcycling could be your next thing to try. Take a look around your house to see if anything needs a bit of improvement, or perhaps something you were going to throw out could do with a face lift. Once you’ve found the item, think of what you could do with it and voila, you have your upcycle project. It is a great way to reduce wastage and you could even sell them on to make a bit of pocket money. Clean Up Australia has some great advice for your upcycle journey.

9. Fitness

Find a fitness program that you love and can do at home. There are so many videos online for you to get exercise in your own living room or your garden in the fresh air, whether it’s pilates, yoga, cardio, weights. Here’s a list of online fitness classes to help get you started.

10. Music

There’s a plethora of videos you can watch to learn how to play a musical instrument. Make sure your instrument is easy to access so that you can practise as often as you like. If it’s shut away – out of sight, out of mind. Start with the basics and don’t put too much pressure on yourself, as you will not be able to play perfectly the first time.

Looking for even more home hobby inspiration? Check out this huge range of hobby products on Amazon.

Melville Medical Centres that Bulk Bill Kids

Melville Mums
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Melville Medical Centres that Bulk Bill Kids

When your child is sick, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether you’ll be able to pay for a medical appointment, so we’ve compiled a list of doctors in the Melville area that offer bulk billing for children. For each centre, we’ve included their bulk billing policy relating to young patients and whether the practice opens on the weekend.

Remember to take your medicare card with you to be eligible for bulk billed appointments.

Practitioners are listed in alphabetical order by suburb.

Bateman

Bateman Medical Centre
24 Parry Ave
Children under 16
Saturdays 9am – 12:30pm

Bicton

Bicton General Practice
340 Canning Hwy
Children under 16
Closed weekends

Point Walter Medical Centre
322-324 Canning Hwy
Children under 15
Saturdays 8am – 12pm

Booragoon

Booragoon Medical Centre
508 Marmion St
Children up to 12
Saturdays 8am – 12pm (no bulk billing on Saturdays)

Brentwood

Brentwood Village Medical Centre
67 Cranford Ave
Children up to 12
Saturdays 9am – 12pm

Bull Creek

Bull Creek Medical Centre
2/79 Wheatley Drive
Children under 16
Saturdays 9am – 12.30pm

Metro GP
Unit 1, 64 Bull Creek Drive
Children under 16
Saturdays 8.30am – 11.30am

Kardinya

Kelso Medical Group
Unit 5, Commercial Centre, 17-23 South St
Children under 15
Closed weekends (After Hours Locum Service)

Leeming

Farrington Road Medical Clinic
84 Farrington Rd
Students up to 21
Saturdays 9am – 1pm

Leeming Medical Centre
5/113 High Rd, Willetton
Children 15 and under
Saturday & Sunday 10am – 4pm

Melville

Health Watch Clinics
527 Canning Hwy
Children under 16
Saturdays 9am – 12pm

Mt Pleasant

Queens Road Surgery
147 Reynolds Rd
Children up to 12
Saturdays 9am – 12pm

Reynolds Rd Medical Centre
Level 1/39 Reynolds Rd
Children up to 12
Saturdays and Sundays 8am – 6pm

Willagee

Caralee Medical Centre
2/62 Archibald St
All patients bulk billed
Weekends Closed

Willagee Medical Centre
1/60 Archibald St
All patients bulk billed
Saturdays 8.30am – 12pm

Winthrop

Hatherley Medical Centre
52 Hatherley Parade
Children 16 and under
Weekends Closed

We’d love to keep this list as up-to-date as possible, so please let us know if there’s anything we’ve missed, or if there are any changes. Either leave a comment below or contact us at hello@melvillemums.com.au.

5 Handwriting Tips to Help Build Your Little One’s Competence & Confidence

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5 Handwriting Tips to Help Build Your Little One’s Competence & Confidence

With Term 3 underway, we thought we’d speak to the team at Kids Are Kids! Therapy and Education Centre and get their top tips for developing handwriting from an early age. If you have young children who may need some help working on their fine motor skills, this one is for you!

Many of the children at Kids Are Kids! struggle with their fine motor skills so we work with them to support their ability to be more autonomous from tying up their shoelaces, doing up buttons and getting dressed. It is so important for kids to improve their independence in these areas and to build up their confidence.  Handwriting is an area that many children can struggle with.

5 tips to help your child develop their handwriting skills:

Tip 1 – Focus on play

Allow children lots of opportunities to play with different objects to develop their fine motor skills e.g. play dough (rolling, squeezing, cutting), cutting and drawing, posting or slotting activities like coins into a money box.

Tip 2 – Practise fine motor skills

Incorporate fine motor skills practice in practical daily tasks such as hanging the washing on the line by using their pincer grip with the pegs, squeezing out their toothpaste, washing the car – squeezing out the wet sponge, helping with the gardening by digging and raking, to develop hand strength and coordination.  

Tip 3 – Make handwriting FUN! 

Incorporate into a game. For example, Guess Who – instead of asking the questions, can they write them down? Or Memory Match, can they write down the picture that they match at the end. Any way you can make writing more fun and enjoyable for the child!

Tip 4 – Check positioning

Ensure your child is seated on a seat where their feet can touch the floor and arms can rest on the desk. We can’t do a task well when our bodies are not in the right position.

Tip 5 – Practice, practice, practice

Find opportunities every day to incorporate writing. Children will need to write at school, and you can also think about natural opportunities in your home such as writing a shopping list, making a birthday card, drawing a picture for someone and writing their name at the top. When your child can use their skills in a meaningful task their motivation and confidence will grow, and they will be more willing to do it again.

If you have any concern regarding your child’s fine motor or handwriting, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Kids Are Kids! for some Occupational Therapy support.

8 Book Series for Your Young Reader

Melville Mums
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8 Book Series for Your Young Reader
Book Series for young readers
Book Series for School Aged Kids 5 – 8 years old

It’s always a feeling of great achievement when your young reader progresses from reading picture book to chapter books. There are so many wonderful books that can introduce your little ones to the grown-up world of chapter books in a fun and entertaining way. We have compiled a list of suggestions of some great book series for your young reader to enjoy and start reading aloud to you.

The beauty of chapter books that belong in a series is that they tap into your little’s ones love of collecting. Your budding reader will want to keep collecting the next book in the series which ensures they stay interested in the wonderful world of reading.

Enjoy this next stage of their reading journey as much as they do!

Meet Ella

The Meet Ella series consists of 6 chapter books that follow the everyday adventures of 6 year old Ella. The chapters are written in a large type with key words in bold, and lots of line spacing. The black and white illustrations are fun and appear almost on every page for your little reader to follow the story. Ella stories are always humorous and involve relatable adventures for any 6 year old to enjoy.

Pearl the Magical Unicorn

This series follows Pearl the magical unicorn as she takes on some of life’s toughest challenges. This magical series starts with Pearl struggling to find her own self confidence. With the help of her friends she overcomes her fears and discovers her own magical powers. The illustrations are 2 colored and the stories are humorous and full of personality. A lovely series to read together.

Hot Dog

Meet Hotdog, the sausage dog, and his friends! There is Kev, the goofy cat always dresses up in some silly costume, and Lizzie, the gutsy lizard, who eats bug burgers for breakfast! This is a hilarious book series that sees the friends go on mad adventures together. Definitely guaranteed to bring a chuckle to your belly. The series is currently up to book number 12.

Babysitters Little Sister

This fun series is written as graphic novels and is a spin-off of The Baby-sitters Club, featuring Kristy’s 7 year old little stepsister Karen. This is a series for a new generation of young readers who can follow along Karen adventures. She is determined to not let her older sister have all he fun.

Fly Guy

Tedd Arnold’s hilarious FLY GUY series will keep your little ones entertained for hours! Boy and fly meet and so begins a beautiful friendship, a very funny friendship. Bestselling author/illustrator Tedd Arnold has created an easy read that is full of humour, using slapstick comedy, puns and silly drawings. Warning, side splitting laughing can be induced!

The 13-Story Treehouse

The books in this series are what pure imagination looks like!

Who wouldn’t want to live in a treehouse? Especially a 13-storey treehouse that has a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of sharks, a library full of comics, a secret underground laboratory, a games room, self-making beds, vines you can swing on, a vegetable vaporiser and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and automatically shoots your favourite flavoured marshmallows into your mouth whenever it discerns you’re hungry. 

The 2 main characters Andy and Terry live in the treehouse, make books together, and have a series of completely crazy adventures. Your kids imagination will be soaring after reading these books!

Diary of A Wimpy Kid

Filled with laugh-out-loud hilarious text and cartoons, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series follows Greg Heffley as he records the daily trials and triumphs of friendship, his family life and school where undersized weaklings have to share the playground with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving! Greg illustrates his hilarious life in his diary. There are currently over 16 books in this series. Even the adults will love reading this funny series.

The Bad Guys

They look like the Bad Guys, they sound like the Bad Guys… and they even smell like the Bad Guys. But Mr Wolf, Mr Piranha, Mr Snake and Mr Shark are about to change all of that—whether you want them to or not!

This funny book series is so good it has been made into a motion picture (on a side note , it’s a great movie to take the kids to). The graphic novel layout, makes the crazy story lines read like a Marvel comic. Full of adventures, super powers, crazy plots and cool gadgets! Another great read for the mums and dads!

Let us know your favourite series books that you like to read with your budding little readers. Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the Melville Mums Facebook group.

How to control your hormones the natural way (or, everything you’ve wanted to know about hormones but been too moody to ask)

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How to control your hormones the natural way (or, everything you’ve wanted to know about hormones but been too moody to ask)

Hormones! A fascinating complexity of constant flux and changes, none of them particularly fun!

Most women at some point experience a level of discomfort associated with hormone changes. For some, minor irritability, for others, symptoms so intense it affects every aspect of their lives. Good news! It doesn’t have to be this way. You can live your life full of energy and vitality and sail up to a period symptom free.

You’re not going crazy…but your hormones might be!

Your body contains a huge swirling mixture of different hormones regulated by your endocrine system. You probably already know what a lot of them do – like cortisol (the stress hormone), oestrogen (the female sex hormone), progesterone (menstrual regulator) and melatonin (the sleep hormone) – but what you might be less familiar with is how all these hormones interact with each other to affect your body. For example, cortisol is manufactured out of progesterone, so it stands to reason that if we’re busy being stressed, our body is going to drain our progesterone reserves to manufacture more stress hormones. This can then set off an unpleasant game of hormone dominoes – our body prioritises fight and flight, which can lead to irregular and unpleasant menstrual cycles, poor gut function, tight and sore muscles, flat or irritable moods and to cap it all off, poor sleep. 

The way to balance hormones is through your…liver?

Whilst sex hormones are produced throughout your body, it’s actually your liver that breaks them down, so it’s a great place to start looking when there are hormonal imbalances. Sometimes we may find the liver is too busy on other tasks (filtering a tad too much vino perhaps?!) to focus where it needs. Our liver is the filter for our body and like any filter is can fill with junk. Supporting liver metabolism allows a back log of hormones to clear through and be broken down, reducing many of our classic premenstrual symptoms such as irritability, moodiness, bloating, weight gain, fatigue, brain fog and poor sleep, to name a few.

So…cut back on the wine and all’s good?

Well, modern day life has unfortunately not made it that simple. In addition to the hormones our bodies manufacture, we’re constantly exposed to xeno-oestrogens, which are artificial hormones found in self-care products, cleaning products, and the environment that behave like oestrogen when they’re in our bodies. This can contribute to further imbalance within our hormonal system. It means we not only need to pay attention to what we eat and drink, but what we clean our homes with, store our food and water in and the body care products we use.

How to get in control of your hormones the natural way.

Every woman’s body is unique, and everyone has a different mix of hormones, diet, body types and other factors, so there isn’t a simple one-size-fits-all solution to regulating your hormonal balance. The first step is figuring out what you need more, or less of – which can be done in a variety of different ways, from blood testing, to food diaries, or even just a decent chat. Once we know what causes your body’s responses we can tailor an individual solution, using herbal and nutritional supplements to give your body exactly what it needs to do its best work. Most women see significant improvement in hormone-related issues within 1-3 months, and are then able to switch to maintenance of their newfound, energetic lifestyle, supported by great food, nutrition, exercise – and, yes, the odd glass of wine!

I’m Sarah Durack, a local naturopath who has been practicing for 20 years. If you’d like to chat about how I can help you get on top of your hormones, or anything to do with feeling great naturally, send me an email to naturopath@sarahdurack.com.au, or visit my website – sarahdurack.com.au. I look forward to your visit!

Local Recycling Centres Around Melville

Melville Mums
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Local Recycling Centres Around Melville

Recycling your waste is one small way your family can help save the planet and its natural resources. Recycling not only reduces the amount of landfill, it reduces pollution, saves energy and conserves natural resources. Some recycling centres will even offer a small cash incentive for your recycling efforts. This is always a good way to get the kids involved. We’ve found some local recycling centres around Melville that you can visit with the family.

Containers for Change

Containers for Change is a state-wide container deposit scheme that encourages recycling and creates a cleaner WA for everyone. Receive 10c for each eligible containers you return to an approved Containers for Change refund point. You can head to their website Containers for Change to find your nearest centre and for more information. The two closest local recycling centres around Melville are:

  • Good Sammy Recycling, Booragoon – Units 3 & 4, 491 Marmion Street
  • TOMRA Recycling Centre, Myaree – 46 McCoy Street

Bottle Top Hill

Bottle Top Hill is a local community group that collects clean plastic drink bottle lids, plastic bread tags and plastic beer can holders/clips, as well as batteries, printer cartridges, light bulbs and mobile phones/small e-waste. Head to one of their community events they hold on the second Saturday of every month. You can drop off your plastic bottles tops and other recyclables they collect and repurpose. Their Facebook page is an awesome resource to follow for local residents and small businesses on issues of sustainability. 

Fremantle Recycling Centre

Fremantle Recycling Centre allows you to dispose of household and recycling waste. It’s a free service to residents of Fremantle and East Fremantle. You can find more information on their website.

Address: 19A Montreal Street, Fremantle

Opening Hours: They are open on Friday’s 12–4pm , Saturday’s and Sunday’s 8am–4pm (closed on public holidays).

Tread Lightly

Tread Lightly is a national recycling initiative that takes unwanted or used sport and active lifestyle shoes and responsibly recycles them to give them a new life. Their drop off points can be found in several sport chains around the area. The closest local drop-off points around Melville are:

  • Athletes Foot, Westfield Shopping Centre, Booragoon
  • HYPE DC, Westfield Shopping Centre, Booragoon
  • Rebel, Leach Highway & Norma Road, Melville

If you have household items that you’re wanting to donate instead of recycle, you can find Local Ops Shops in our blog. For more information on what and how to recycle in WA, head to the Recycle Right website.

15 Activities to do with your Toddler on a Rainy Day

Melville Mums
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15 Activities to do with your Toddler on a Rainy Day

It’s a challenge to keep an energetic toddler entertained when it’s raining outside. Other than putting on a rain coat and gumboots so they can splash in puddles, here are some suggestions of what to do with your toddler at home on a rainy day.

If you do head out in the rain, just remember to make sure your car is packed with a change of clothes, raincoats, gumboots, an umbrella, a towel and a plastic tub to put wet and muddy clothes in. This way you’ll be ready to dry everyone and keep them warm after some rain play!

1. Create a sensory rice tub

Fill a tub with rice, pasta and oats, then place in the toys and let them feel away. Little animals or dinosaurs are great, as well as measuring cups and little jugs. They will enjoy plenty of touching, pouring and exploring.

2. Have a dance party

Put some music on, leave your inhibitions at the door and let loose! Have fun!

3. Create a treasure hunt

Have some crafty fun together and make some treasure. Take turns hiding it, letting the other find it.

4. Share story time together

Get some cushions or bean bags, get cosy together with blankets and stuffed toys and read some favourite stories together.

5. Put on a puppet show

Make puppets out of toilet paper rolls and other household items, and then put on a puppet show.

6. Rock painting

Find some rocks on a rainy walk, take them home and wash them, then paint on patterns and pictures. Once finished, it would make a lovely eye-catching feature in the garden.

7. Build your own cubby house

Gather your cushions, pillows, blankets and sheets to build a cubby house or fort.

8. Make Oobleck

If you have corn starch in your pantry then you can make Oobleck! Take a bowl, pour 1 cup of water, add in 1.5 cups of corn starch and mix it together! It’s easy to make but it’s messy, so make sure you have an easy wipe-down surface or a mat. It’s so much fun to play with! You can hold it as a solid and then it will ooze out through your fingers. Add a bit of food colouring to make it even better. Instructables have an easy to follow recipe.

9. Finger painting

It’s time to get messy! Lay out the paper, get the paint ready and let your little one stick their hands in and create a masterpiece!

10. Easy indoor obstacle course

Create a toddler-friendly obstacle course using cushions, bean bags, tunnels, soft play mat, pillow balance path. There are some great obstacle course toys available at the moment, like these stepping stones.

11. Visit an indoor play centre

There’s a good selection of play centres around if you want to stay indoors – have a look at our blog about local indoor play centres.

12. Go for a swim

There are plenty of options for an indoor swimming pool with a toddler section including Fremantle Leisure Centre, LeisureFit Booragoon and Cockburn ARC. Take a look at our post about local swimming pools.

12. Form a home rock band

Get out some kitchen utensils, pots & pans and let them go rock ‘n’ roll wild! Try filling a plastic bottle with rice or pasta for a home made maraca.

13. Pom pom drop

Find a wall or door, grab some empty toilet paper rolls or kitchen paper rolls, tape to the wall and drop some pom poms through! It’s that simple.

14. Don’t touch the lava

The floor is lava and you have to get out of the room without touching the lava, otherwise your feet will burn! Put cushions down as stepping stones to help get you to safety. If you don’t have enough cushions, put down some coloured pieces of paper.

15. Hide and Seek

This is an oldie but a goodie!

Have fun! Remember to stay warm but get still get plenty of fresh air when you can.

For some more craft ideas to try and home with the kids, check out these 10 YouTube and Art & Craft channels.

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