Tad has wanted to be an archaeologist since he was five. Unfortunately, instead of excavating tombs for treasure, he spends his days digging up building sites and dreaming about a life far from his own. Tad has all but given up on the idea of making a major historical discovery, when a series of serendipitous events turn him from an ordinary builder to an accidental hero searching for the Lost City of Paititi in Peru.

Ten lucky Mum’s Grapevine subscribers will each win a copy of TAD: The Lost Explorer DVD.

Entry is open to Mum’s Grapevine newsletter subscribers and Facebook Likers.
Subscribe to newsletter here….

Competition ends July 12, 2013 at 11:59 pm AEST.

Read our full Terms & Conditions here.

Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wearing his “Indiana Jones” hat and with his trusty dog Jeff by his side, Tad is thrust into action. His lifelong search for adventure is over, as he stumbles across epic archaeological sites and eludes evil treasure hunters.

You will find yourself rooting for Tad from the get go. He is warm and surprisingly loveable. In fact, all of the characters in this movie are rich and familiar, providing some genuine chuckles along the way. Tad ticks all the boxes, containing all the important ingredients of love, action and comedy. The well-worn Indiana Jones-esque formula fits like a comfy old jumper and won’t disappoint for a little rainy day entertainment.

With a rating of PG and some scary scenes involving guns and violence, Tad is probably not suitable for very little kids, but is definitely full of fun for children aged between 5 and 10 years.

Available on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Buy your copy of TAD, The Lost Explorer here.

..

.

.

.

.
Maybe photography is your passion and you possess enviable photo editing skills. The rest of us just take way too many pics of our kids and want our images to look as cool as possible with minimal time and effort! Snapseed allows you to enhance and transform your photos in seconds for results that look like you have more skills than you do. Result!

Available from iTunes

Flora and the Flamingo
by M. Idle

This fantastic flap book is proof that books don’t need words to be fabulous. The illustrations tell the story superbly and kids will love exploring the dancing adventures of Flora and her graceful flamingo friend through interactive flaps. There are twists, turns, surprises and a splashy ending to delight young readers!

Buy Flora and the Flamingo

.

Anyone who loves colour, pattern, and funky prints needs to bookmark this post right now! Stop coveting those designer cushion covers or luxe artworks and learn some easy DIY printing skills to make your own instead. It’s easier than it looks and you’ve probably got most of the gear you need at home. So let’s get crafting!

.

1. Circle stamped ombre lampshade

.

A humble toilet paper roll provides the ‘stamp’ for this lampshade makeover. See the tutorial at Vintage Revivals.

.

.

2. Hand-stamped swaddling wrap

.

Create your own custom, one-of-a-kind baby wrap with this tutorial from Merrilee Liddiard at Mom’s Best.

.

.

3. Geometric stamped town print

.

With just a few simple geometric shapes and pretty colours, you can create your own little village to hang on the wall. See more at Fellow Fellow.

.

.

4. Rolling pin printed paper

Raid your kitchen drawer and use a rolling pin, some rubber bands and pieces of foam to create lengths of printed paper for wrapping and crafting. See how it’s done at Eco Salon.

.

.

5. DIY monogram stamp

.

You’ll need to pop to the craft store to buy a carving block and craft knife for this one, but then it’s easy peasy. Get the tutorial from Love My Dress.

.

.

6. Cross hatch stamp

Cut out shapes from craft foam and glue them to a wooden block to create this cross hatch stamp. See more at Lines Across.

.

.

7. Pencil eraser stamped tote bag

Dip the end of a pencil eraser in to puffy paint and dot-dot-dot to your heart’s content. Get the tutorial at V and Co.

.

.

8. Stamping with LEGO

.

This is a fun one for the kids. Let them use their LEGO pieces to stamp patterns and pictures on to craft foam. Read more at Filth Wizardry.

.

.

9. screen printed t-shirt

.

Make your own screen prints using an embroidery hoop, pantyhose and Modge Podge. Read how at Calico Skies.

.

.

10. Stenciled Moroccan rug

.

Can’t find a rug in the right pattern or colour to suit your own? Sarah M. Dorsey shows you how to make your own.

.

.

11. Fabric screen printed with contact paper

.

Contact paper is another material that can be re-purposed to make a screen print. Get the tutorial for this gorgeous apple-print fabric at Lil Blue Boo.

.

.

12. Heart stenciled cushion cover

.

Use a heart paper punch and fabric paint to make this printed cushion. See the steps at Sunday In Color.

.

.

.

As winter bites we’re spending more days rugged up indoors, staring out at grey skies … and noticing the sad state of our grimy windows! Luckily we’ve just been introduced to a fab way to clean windows without going chemical-crazy.

Using the natural cleaning power of microfibre and water, the ENJO Outdoor Window Cleaner is an easy-to-use tool that will save you both money and elbow grease. No suds, no streaks, no fuss – using only water, this gadget makes glass gleam and comes in two sizes for small panes and large windows. You can also add a telescopic handle to get to those high windows or even clean solar panels on your roof.

It’s hard to believe that you can achieve such a great result without even a hint of cleaning fluid, but the proof is in the pudding.

Watch how it’s done here:

.

.

Available from ENJO – priced from $109 for small or $119 for large

.

Every parent knows … once you find a settling technique that works for your baby, you’d better be prepared to keep doing it over and over again. Unfortunately, sometimes that means you get stuck in a pattern of patting, rocking, pacing the house or driving around the block at ungodly hours, which can be exhausting and impractical.

The Sleep Rumbler offers an alternative settling method that’s easier on tired parents and can be used anywhere. Pop your baby in the pram and roll it over the Sleep Rumbler mat, which recreates the gentle bumping and rocking motion of the womb. The mat can be folded up and stowed in the bottom of your pram so you can take it with you and use it on the go, providing that all-important consistency that babies love.

No more pushing prams in bad weather, endless driving or aching arms. The Sleep Rumbler could be just the sanity-saver every new mum needs.

Available from Bubba Funk – $69.95

.

.

.

.

Cut and make your own pretty paper garland, courtesy of this simple tutorial from Jennifer at Love JK. Perfect to decorate a birthday party, baby shower, or your little one’s bedroom, paper garlands are super easy to make – and best of all, require no sewing skills!

Read on to find out how …

.

What you’ll need …

The Garland Template PDF (click here to download)
Circle cutter
Hole Punch (we used a small hole punch which is available from craft stores, but a regular one will do just fine)
Baker’s twine
A4 Card Stock
Inkjet printer

How to …
Download your Garland Template pdf and print out the colour scheme you would like to use. There are three colour palettes:  one for a pretty girl’s nursery or bedroom, one for the boyish boy and another option which is gender neutral.

Print as many sheets as you need
(Note if you would like your garland to be 100% perfect, then now is the time to mark out the centre line of each circle on the back of each sheet. Simply rule down the middle and then measure either side of the circle an equi-distant point at which to punch your holes)

Using your circle cutter punch out the circles.

Next, punch holes on either side of each circle.

Line up your circles in the order of colours you like as it makes it faster when threading.

Thread each circle onto the twine until you have the desired length.

Voila! Hang up and enjoy!

.

If you’ve opened up a design magazine or visited any interiors blogs in the past few months, Kip & Co‘s awesomely quirky linens are sure to look familiar. From the must-have ‘Croc’ set to simple spots or the new ‘Banana’ range, these design-led linens are contemporary but not too serious. Perfect for adults’ or kids’ rooms and a world away from the been-there-done-that motifs that usually grace children’s beds.

In fact, I have this bedlinen on my bed right now, and I could not love it any more if I tried! Now that we’ve spied the single bed sizes, I think it’s time for a mini version for my mini me.

Available from The Little Kidz Closet – single bed duvets set $185 / cushions and blankets from $39

.

.

.

If you wish you could make gorgeous, mouth-watering cupcakes that belong on Pinterest, then here’s your chance!

The Cupcake Central Baking & Decorating Masterclass at Melbourne Central will teach you how to make delectable cupcakes from scratch and decorate them like a pro. Get the hidden tips, tricks and secret recipes that will turn your next batch of mini morsels in to mouthwatering delicacies. Make fondant decorations, bows, roses, and learn how to pipe icing in to impressive swirls and shapes.

Best of all, you get to eat your creations! You’ll also receive a copy of the new Cupcake Central cookbook, Hatch That Dream so you can get baking at home and impress the pants off your family and friends!

.

.

One lucky Mum’s Grapevine newsletter subscriber will win a Cupcake Central Baking & Decorating Masterclass for two people in Melbourne, plus two copies of the Hatch That Dream cookbook, valued at over $200!

CLICK MORE TO ENTER BELOW:

Entry is open to all Australian Mum’s Grapevine newsletter subscribers and Facebook Likers (excluding NSW). Subscribe here….

Competition ends June 30, 2013 at 11:59 pm AEST.

Winner must be Melbourne-based or willing to travel at their own cost. Read our full Terms & Conditions here.

Let’s get started. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway