Take the kids to the zoo this winter.....

Who says it's too cold to go out? Rug the kids up with merino wool, jackets and scarves and head out for the day.

In Canberra, my little girl and I go the National Zoo and Aquarium on our days off. It's nearby and because we have an annual pass we can come and go as we please. A recent visit to Sydney demanded a visit to Taronga. It brought back many childhood memories.

The National Zoo & Aquarium sponsored our Babies in Beanies 2010 with family passes for the winner's family and runner's up.

If you care to be a little more adventurous than just a simply trip to the zoo, take a trip to the snow supporting the Snow Leopard Foundation, an endangered species. This August, 22-23, for $252 you get coach travel, accomodation & ski lift tickets. To find out more contact the National Zoo & Aquarium .

Fireside Festival

Murrumbateman is a vibrant rural village 30 minutes from Canberra and 2.5 hours South of Sydney. The village is made up of a diverse and active community and is home to a large number of small business owners. Historically based on wool and beef cattle it has recently emerged as a centre for wineries, regional cafes and restaurants and award winning B&Bs.

Every winter the Fireside Festival is held by Canberra and surrounding small businesses to celebrate winter in the region.

Two of our sponsors of Babies in Beanies have great events on offer during the Fireside Festival. If you can't make these, they are worth a visit with or without the kids!

Poacher's Pantry

Poacher's Pantry smoke their own meats, Wily Trout wines and offer a resturant on their beautiful property, just 10 minutes from Murrumbateman, in Hall.

This year for the Fireside Festival they are offering

Tantalise your tastebuds with a 5 course degusation menu. Traditionally cooked slow cooked food with a contemporary Poachers twist.

Poacher's kindly donated a case of Wily Trout 2008 Shiraz & a $100 voucher for their restuarant or smoked meats for our Babies in Beanies raffle.

Flint in the Vines

Flint in the Vines is a new and exciting restaurant from the original Flint Dining Room & Bar in the Canberra City. It brings Flint's modern international bistro cuisine to Murrumbateman. Flint in the Vines' food philosophy is to produce high quality cuisine at affordable prices, sourcing as much seasonal produce as possible from the local area.

The restaurant is ideally situated on the picturesque property with a smart yet informal ambiance overlooking the vineyard estate. It's reminiscent of the great vineyard restaurants from the country regions of France and Italy. With a cosy fireplace for those winter months and a beautiful outdoor terrace in summer, it is the perfect place to enjoy home made specialities.

Every Wednesday night thoroughout August Wine, Wisdom & Wood-fired Pizzas is running. Trivia nights with good

Flint in the Vines donated $80 dining voucher for the runner's up in our Babies in Beanies competition.

KreATiVE KiDS

Rodney's Nursery have been running KreATiVE KiDS klasses every Thursday morning from 10:00-11:00 for the locals. They are held in the heated log cabin within the nursery, the kiddies get morning tea, fruit & fairy bread and a drink plus the activity all for $7.50. You have to book at www.rodneys.com.au as places are limited



Here is a look at what the kids got up to with Paper Making in the first week!

Last week some stunning peg dolls were created with tutus, crowns and beautiful long flowing hair! Biscuits were baked and decorated this week and next week the kids pot their own herbs.

If you've got a little one not yet at schoool and looking for something to do on Thursdays this is a nice way to enjoy the crisp and chilly mornings in Canberra.....

Winning Babies Week 4

We had an overwhelming amount of entrants in our final week of Babies in Beanies photographic competition. So many gorgeous winter faces.

This week we have 6 finalists, the three top babies from each site with the highest number of votes.



Tai T, Patrick A, and Liam N (L - R) are in it for the boys........



Genevieve K and Amarli H and Ruby K, (L - R)are representing the girls for week 4!

Well done to all the beautiful entrants - we loved looking at all those photos.

Don't forget there are 4 'Wild Cards' to join the finalists. 1 from each week being added to the final 16. You have to check out the Canberra Weekly Magazine this week, issue out 12th July 2010, to find out who the Wild Cards are and to see all the finalists as you have voted.

Winning Babies Week 3

It's getting to the pointy end of the competition and all of those winter faces are just so delightful. This week our 4 top babies with the highest number of votes are (L -R) Makalya T, Keaton L, Inara H & Emily W. Congratulations to all the entrants.