Sunshine Coast Mums/Mums-To-Be/Dads Chat [Archive] - Bub Hub Pregnancy & Parenting Forum

MrsMiggins

11-03-2006, 22:52

Just thought I'd set this one up for a general chat area for bubhubbers on the Sunnie Coast!

Don't forget to keep checking in on the Get-together thread too, for our outings!

:ecomcity: :ecomcity: :ecomcity:

Just to kick it off, someone started a thread in general chat about Parents With Prams parking.

Where do you all think the best/worst PWP spots are?

Mine are:

Best - Kawana Shopping World (Sunshine Plaza, Maroochydore is not too bad, although you're usually hard-pressed to find a vacant one there.)

Worst - Stockland Shopping Centre, Caloundra (Currimundi Shopping Centre runs a close second here!)

justtwogirls22

12-03-2006, 21:01

great idea to start a chat thread

ive found the ones at kawana are pretty good though can't say ive ever seen any at the plaza in the target carpark (i know there are some in the myer carpark but never park there)

MrsMiggins

12-03-2006, 21:54

Love the new pic Melissa!! Very cute!!

Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing any in the Target carpark either, but I usually park in the Myer carpark! (In fact, the last 3 times I have gone there, I've managed to jag a spot right at the crossing in front of the doors either first or second row back!! JACKPOT! :thumbsup:

Issey

13-03-2006, 09:09

Hi,

The best for me is Big W carpark in Nambour under cover:thumbsup: . I find the Plaza impossible to find a decent park so park near the radio station, you get fines if you exceed 2hours in some places.:thumbsdown:

My big thing is shops with steps that are un-pram-friendly makes it so hard!

I just bought a battery operated swing on Ebay for $57!! It is FANTASTIC :yelclap: Ty goes to sleep in 10mins and I can actually do some things I want around the house. Yipeee.

Fiona how are you going with the Bumbo seat as I am thinking of getting one I saw them in Nambour for $79 is that a good / bad price? I just need to win a place in the photo comp at Sugartown Babes to get one for cheaper!! If anyone does go into Nambour check it out as 50% off a lot of stuff at the moment and Ty is number 21 on the pictures.

Better go while I have a window of opportunity with Ty in the swing!

MrsMiggins

13-03-2006, 09:50

Hey Debster! That is great about the swing!! We got one free with the stuff we bought from Babies Galore & I'm glad we didn't pay for it because Claire has never liked it! :( Oh well! :rolleyes: She will sit in it for very brief periods & then has to get out. We've only had one or two successful sessions in it!

I'm glad it works for Ty! It's amazing how something can work for one baby & not for another, isn't it?! We're hanging onto ours just in case for bub #2!

I'm hoping that she will like sitting in a high chair, but I'm growing ever more doubtful each day that that will be the case! We're looking at having to buy one shortly - within the next few weeks. We keep missing out when they have good sales on them! They've had 2 on sale at Target recently that were just bargains! Both times we either missed the sale or didn't have the money to buy one.

I'm thinking that I may just use the bumbo seat for a while, but there will come a time when we're going to need a tray, so we'll have to end up getting a high chair I think. The only thing is that heaps of people I know say they are a waste of money! I just can't see how you would go about feeding without one? Sigh! I dunno! It's all too hard! :rolleyes:

Hey, good luck with that photo comp debster! Ty is such a cutie I'm sure he'll be right up there! $79 is pretty good for a bumbo seat. We got ours for $89.95 at Babies Galore. I think Toys R Us had them on sale recently for $69, but that is very cheap, so $79 is a pretty good price. Ours has come in so handy recently! I don't know how we ever got by without it - that & the jumping joey! Claire just adores that! Doesn't want to ever get out of it!

flygirl

13-03-2006, 21:12

Hey!
I'm Kelly, Mum to Amelie, 14 months. We live in Buderim.

I always park at Myer at the Sunshine Plaza as I seem to have the best luck with parks :)

Everyone told us when Amelie was smaller that we shouldn't spend very much on a high chair as she wouldn't be in it for long - well she is now 14 months and is still using it everyday!! I wish I had spent a little more - we just got a really budget one as didn't think we'd get much use out of it! Wheels are a must - you wouldn't believe how often we have to drag ours around lol!! Anyway sorry that turned into a little vent lol!

I look forward to chatting to everyone :D

meme

13-03-2006, 21:32

yeah i agree flygirl, i use the highchair everyday.
my toddler has only just stoped using it and she is 2. and she'd still be using it if she didn't have a little sister who took over.
now the toddler uses an out and about booster seaat thingy, it's great.

MrsMiggins

13-03-2006, 21:41

Hi Kelly!! Welcome!

I think you are about the third Buderim-ite around the boards! You guys must be breeding up there! (And we, down here in Caloundra! There are a few of us here too!)

That's good to know about the high-chairs guys. I just hope Claire will decide she wants to sit in it! I just don't know... she hates being in the pram (although the last few days she's been all right!) and the swing, but loves her bumbo & the car seat. :confused: Strange child! :p

Thanks for the tip about the wheels too! I will definitely look for ine with wheels as I can imagine we'll be carting ours around the house a fair bit also.

Aimee'smum

14-03-2006, 12:18

Hi Fiona - we just tried using a high chair with Aimee at mum's place - she was good for a bit and then I think got over it after about 20mins. I'm still going to get one I think - maybe she'll get used to it. She goes to child care 2 days per week and I think they use them there, so she'll just have to!

MrsMiggins

14-03-2006, 15:44

Yeah, I think that's what Claire will be like. I'm thinking though that if we only use it for feeding she should be pretty well right, because if she's got something to keep her occupied, she'd be more likely to stay in there for longer.

meme

14-03-2006, 20:52

i like to let bubba make a big mess with first foods. i just blob it on the highchair tray and let her play in it and suck it off her fingers. so i also looked for one that was really easy to clean:D

Issey

15-03-2006, 08:14

I was given a highchair, it's okay but nothing fancy. My bub isn't at that stage yet but I can't imagine how you would feed them without one unless you use the ones that clip directly onto your table. They seem like a good option if you have a sturdy table.

MrsMiggins

15-03-2006, 21:42

Dave's got an 8 yo daughter who lives in Sydney, & when she was a baby, they apparently had this high chair where the seat part came off & you could clip that onto the table. So it was like a 2-in-1! That would be a great idea, but we haven't found any. I don't think they make them any more.

Issey

16-03-2006, 20:16

Yes you can get a clip on high chair, I have seen them somewhere but can't remmeber where (helpful I know!). It looks like a seat which has two extended arms which fit onto the table top and underneath you screw the clamps on, it is easy to take on and off.
Maybe ring that Sugartown Babes shop they seem to be able to answer alot of questions about everything, very helpful. I will keep my eye out.
I know someone who has one so will ask them where they bought it from.

MrsMiggins

16-03-2006, 21:11

I have seen plenty around that clip onto the table, but apparently there used to be ones that were an actual stand-alone high chair & the chair part detached to become one of the clip-on types. I reckon they'd be very handy! So I'm not sure why no-one seems to make them any more. Maybe it might be worth giving Sugartown babies a call? They at least might be able to tell me if anyone still makes the ones that DH had. Thanks Debster!! :thumbsup:

I think in the end, we'll probably just end up getting a normal, every-day, run-of-the-mill high chair!

Claire started really being able to sit up on her own for several seconds today!! Very exciting!!! :D You can really tell that she's finally managing to find her own centre of balance. It won't be long til she's fully sitting on her own!

Oh! My little girl's growing up!

meme

16-03-2006, 21:46

hmm, hearing that your bubba's learning to sit up by herself(yay) made me wonder how old everyones baby's are?
i am mum of 3, a 10 year old, 2 (nearly 3) year old and an 8 (nearly 9 month) old
i am really holding on to her being 8mths, 9 is just too grown up!:D
how about you guys?
oh yeah and mine are all girls

MrsMiggins

17-03-2006, 10:18

Oh how lovely!! All girls! I grew up with two brothers & no sisters, so I always wanted at least 2 girls. I have my DD who is 5 months old & a DSD who lives in Sydney & she is 8 years old.

I want at least 2 more babies - ideally I'd love to have another girl & then a boy (of course, I'd be ecstatic however they decide to come to me!)

We hope to have them pretty close together. For the next one definitely & then we'll see how we go for #3+. We're hoping to start TTC #2 in a few months time. It took us 26 months to fall PG with Claire, so hopefully it won't take as long this time round.

Issey

17-03-2006, 12:00

I have one DS who is 13 weeks old :yelclap: He is just beautiful. He was a surprise as we thought we couldn't have children, so he is my 'special' boy. We are only having one child.

I have to go back to work :crying: as we can't survive on one wage so I don't know how others do it with a few children. Maybe alot more dedicated DH's out there who don't mind making sacrifices?. I don't know.

3boys1girl

17-03-2006, 14:07

Hi Guys
I have a 11 year old boy, 7 year old boy and 10mth old girl. I know how you feel Deb with going back to work, I dont know how some of the mothers around here cope on one wage. I am lucky because I am a nurse I can work when my hubby is at home, so we dont need to use day care.:yelclap: Just day care can take up all your wages!
Its hard having kids these days cause everything is so expensive, plus we all want the fancy things like the nice car, big house and plasma TVs. I would love a fourth child, but it means upgrading my car and at the moment I dont think we can afford it as we have just brought a new house.
Maybe in 20 years time I may get my fourth child,just before my biological clock runs out because I cant see it happening eariler! Bit sad huh? :crying:
Cherie

flygirl

17-03-2006, 14:49

Well, my precious girl is 14 months. We're not sure if we'll have another - maybe in 4 or 5 years - we'll see!
I work 3 1/2 days a week and I understand where you are coming from Debster!
We are renting at the moment and would love to buy a house - its doable (is that a word lol) with one child, but we need both our wages to do it!

Issey

17-03-2006, 21:57

3kidsmum is lucky to have a flexible job.

flygirl I feel totally sorry for people trying to buy a house these days with the amount of deposit and house prices.

We don't want all the flash things just to 'live' and enjoy a bit, ie: be able to go out to dinner now and then and a family holiday etc. Lucky I enjoy the markets and don't mind pre-loved things as I have picked up some great things for my bub at a 1/4 of the price :smiliedance: He looks great in his Peter Rabbit $2 outfits!

If I don't go back to work we can't pay the mortgage & bills :crying: I am not worried about a flash car, just putting petrol in the one I got is enough :laughing:

Still I will enjoy what time I have with bubs.

meme

17-03-2006, 22:21

yeah the money thing gets me down. i dont work and sometimes i get so frustrated that i can't have a big house nice car etc. but i just love being at home with my kids. i would love to buy a house (dreaming ) but there is just no way i could afford it, so much thanks to my father who lets me rent his cheap!

MrsMiggins

17-03-2006, 22:43

I'm hearing you all!!

I am facing such a tough decision at the moment re: having to go back to work. I am still on half pay from work right now & I won't bore you with all the details, but suffice to say we are really going to struggle big time on DH's money alone. I don't think I could go back to work (apart from the fact that work is in Bris), I may find something casual or part-time up here, but that is not without it's problems either. I want to cry at the thought of leaving my baby & having to work! :crying: I am such a wuss!

We worked out that if we had to pay for childcare, we'd be better off having another baby & me staying at home full-time. Isn't that crazy?!:eek:

Oh, and here's the new spanner in the works -

We had all but given up on the notion that we'd one day buy a house of our own - we simply cannot afford to save a deposit (and yes, we want all the latest & greatest stuff too!) but DH has been negotiating with his parents (unbeknownst to me until recently!!:mad: ) to buy one of the houses they own - the price being only the remainder they have owing on it! A bargain really as the house is worth about $400,000 at the moment & they only owe approx $80,000. OK, well this all sounds wonderful but a) we'd be moving to a very small town in the middle of nowhere, where his parents live 2 minutes away (something I just do not want to do for a million and a half very valid reasons), b) these things have a history of turning out bad for us (any of DH's Grand Plans, that is - there have been many!) and c) I just know that his parents will make us feel as though we owe them for the rest of their lives.

Don't get me wrong - I get along fine with the IL's, but I just know how these things always end up! DH is cranky at me for not wanting to go. I can see it's a great opportunity... I just don't want to leave here & live there! Am I being selfish?!

Sorry to turn this all around! I've just been milling this over in my head for two days now!

Issey

18-03-2006, 20:54

Hey Fiona the thought of childcare and leaving my babe makes me cry too! :crying:

Wow about the house plan, yes it sounds good in theory but everything comes at a price :shame: . Sounds a like a bit of manipulation to get you to live near them. If they are willing to give you so much why not on your terms ie: a house on the coast? I wouldn't want to do it either but I guess it is tempting, if you liked the area they were living in it probably would be a easy decision, however to move somewhere else that you aren't comfortable with is hard. If you did go would the house be transferred totally in both your names or would they have a hold over it? I guess you would feel terribly guilty if you wanted to sell it and move or maybe you wouldn't be able to. If they really sincerely mean the offer you should think it over and not rush into anything. If it was me I would do it if I thought I could be happy but if I thought I would hate it ,it is a very long time to live with the decision. Hard one :(

MrsMiggins

18-03-2006, 21:17

Yeah, I think that's pretty much how I feel about the whole thing, Debster. Thanks for your input!

As far as I know, the house would be in our names only, as they were always going to will it to us anyway - it's just kind of like an early inheritence. They own another house & can't afford to keep making the payments on this one, plus if they sell this one to us, they will be eligible for the pension (Apparently! I would think though that selling a valuable asset comes into play - as well as selling an asset for significantly below market value. I think Mr Taxman would be looking pretty closely at that one!)

My DH has a tendancy to jump into these things like a bull at a gate. A point he really doesn't take too kindly to me bringing up, because all he can see are the benefits, because he wants to do this!

I like the place, but to go on holidays. Not to live there! Even at the end of a week's holiday I'm looking forward to heading home!

At the moment DH's grandmother lives in the house, so we would live in the granny flat out the back until such time as the house becomes vacant, so to speak. That's the other thing that makes me uneasy about the whole thing! I wouldn't feel right just hanging about until someone.... drops off the perch!

It's become a bit of a sore point between us because DH has wanted to move there for several years now & I keep saying no. Turns out each time up until now I was right about not jumping into The Plan! They've gone pear-shaped in every instance!

The reason it's difficult is because I'm seen as the devil's advocate whenever I mention a possibility of something going wrong. I am just trying to view this from every angle - something which my DH steadfastly refuses to do & doesn't even realise he's doing it! He keeps accusing me of being negative if I bring up a possible issue. Very frustrating!:banghead:

I just don't know if I can keep putting my foot down about this, or even if I am right to this time.

3boys1girl

20-03-2006, 10:43

Hi guys
I know the frustration of not having your own house and saving for a deposit. There was no way we could do it by our self. So what me and my DH did was to ask his parents to take out a loan for $100,000 then we get a loan for the rest of the money owing on the house, they give the $100,000 to us as a "gift" and then we put that on to the house. Its a legit, I was a bit worried about it at first but we where honest with the banks and they said it was fine. We just pay 2 payments, one to our morgage and one to my inlaws loan. There is no extra interest, still works out the same. It was the only was we could get a house. Of course you still need some money in the bank for fees and solicitors. $10,000 is heaps. A lot of people are doing this now because the market is just to over priced. As long as you can afford payments then its a great way to do it. And just make sure you pay your inlaws loan off otherwise it may cause friction between families!
The guy who did our loan is Rodney Bryant who is with Aussie loans, he is so good!:yelclap:
Fiona, u may have to consider schools and that sort of stuff for when your kids get older. Sounds like a good oppurtunity to get a cheap house but that depends on where it is
Good luck on your decision!

MrsMiggins

20-03-2006, 11:29

I think both of us are too frightened to mention it - we haven't spoken about it for several days now!

I'm just willing at the moment to wait & see what happens.

That was good of your IL's to do that for you guys! Isn't it a shame that people have to do things like that just to get a start these days. Unfortunately our IL's & my parents aren't really in a position to be able to do anything like that for us. My IL's did something similar for us a few years ago to get us started in our business which DH now runs.

I was in Myer yesterday & bought Claire a book I loved as a kid! The Very Hungry Caterillar! I had seen it around & I am just so amazed that it is still a best-selling kids book after all these years! I also borrowed some books from the library for her. It was so much fun! I could look through the kids picture books for hours! There are some really beautiful stories & beautifully illustrated books.

I borrowed some Miffy books (so cute!) and also one about a spotty dog who's favourite game is to play with his dad! And my favourite of the books I borrowed is about a little monkey in Africa who doesn't want to go to bed, so he has an adventure through Africa with all these animals chasing him. When they catch up to him all they want to do is tickle him! Then when he finally makes it home, he is happy to see his mum & he gives her a cuddle & goes happily off to bed. It is gorgeous! There is a really cute picture of him at the end when he is cuddliing his mum & she is carrying him off to bed & he has his eyes half closed. It's such a lovely book!

The only thing is, it's tricky to read Claire books at bedtime, because all she wants to do is grab at the pages & try to eat the cover etc. so she gets all hyper & excited!

justtwogirls22

22-03-2006, 10:10

i forgot about this thread!!

i have one of those highchairs that you can take off & attach to the table (though have never used it like that) it's great as it has wheels & you can put the seat at different heights - it was given to me by a friend who bought it for their grand daughter but she hardly used it - i know they are pretty expensive & i saw a similiar one at kawana bubs

i will have to remember to come in here & check what is going on!

MrsMiggins

22-03-2006, 15:40

Kawana Bubs?! I will definitely have a look when I'm next there! Do you know what brand it is, melbee?

I'm so glad to hear you have one! I was beginning to think no-one made them any more!

justtwogirls22

23-03-2006, 15:37

yeah kawana bubs in on the nicklin way well it was last year
i just looked at the high chair & it has no markings on it - i did look it up when i was offered it & for some reason monaco comes to mind - i could be wrong
ok i just did a search & it's called a steelcraft monaco hi/lo chair - there are few on ebay that are going cheap - good luck with your search - its a brilliant high chair - a also found it great if i wanted to wheel bubs in front of the lounge to feed so then i could lower the chair easily