Prior to the school holidays being here we were invited along to a showing of Highpoint’s newest ‘The Colour Club’ which is on every Monday morning for you to be able to ease into the start of your week with some fun activities with the kids before taking them on your hours long shopping spree.

Niah is super-duper active now days and won’t sit still for long. We never take the pram out anymore as Niah wants to be walking around or wants to be up on Mum’s hip or better still riding up high in the shopping trollies but when this Mumma gets into the shops, who knows how long we could be there for so heading out to large shopping centres like Highpoint is always a challenge for us.

Being able to have something like the The Colour Club at Highpoint is really useful and such an excellent idea to give the kiddies a break from our world of fun and let them enjoy some fun for themselves. The Colour Club is completely free and is on every Monday morning from 10am to 1pm at Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribyrnong.

Niah enjoying The Colour Club

Here is what’s happening for the next few sessions:

Monday 27 April: Playdough
Monday 4 May: Painting
Monday 11 May: Building Blocks
Monday 18 May: Foost Cooking Class - Beetroot tzatziki with salad on a stick
Monday 25 May: Playdough

The Nappy Collective have featured on my blog many times now and that is because I'm very passionate about the organisation and what they do to help out the community that are in need. 

Each drive I have donated all of Niah's outgrown nappies plus buying a few extra boxes to help out those going through hard times to be able to contribute to something very worthy.

This Mother’s Day, the Australian public will be able to donate desperately needed nappies to mothers in shelters and families in crisis. The Nappy Collective will soon begin its largest drive yet, collecting leftover unused nappies in 18 cities and towns at over 170 drop points around the country.

From May 1-15, tens of thousands of spare nappies are expected to be donated by the public in cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart, Canberra, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Alice Springs, as well as regional areas like Newcastle, Albury, Upper Hunter Valley, Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong. At the conclusion of the drive, the nappies (mostly destined for landfill) are then collected, sorted and donated to mothers in shelters and families in need in each locality. 

TNC has a strong growth track record, collecting 26,682 nappies in March 2014, and over 116,000 in October 2014, bringing their total number of nappies collected to date to 226,207 in their first 18 months of operations.

Collectives run twice a year and supply a growing list of over 60 organisations including welfare organisations and women’s shelters. Following strong demand in other cities, TNC’s aim is to continue to expand its reach for subsequent collectives.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I was invited along to a showing of the production Absinthe. I have heard so many great reviews on Spiegelworld from when the show Empire came to Melbourne and then heard many more great things about Absinthe so I was excited for the experience. 

Taking place at Crown Rooftop, Melbourne - which I have never been to before and must say this was the most stunning and gorgeous set up I have ever seen. The views are just amazing and really is a breathtaking place that wows. 

A production that has been seen and loved from overseas in New York to LA. Watched by celebs like Olivia Newtown-John, Pamela Anderson and James Franco.

Absinthe will have you seated in wooden deck chairs around the ringside, in velvet covered booths or at duo bar tables for the show. An intimate setting that has you really up close and personal with the performers.  It's the small details that really have me going. The red circus like roof top that glowed with red velvet and lights was a real mood setter also.

A 90 minute show is full of vulgarity that will have you in stitches from laughing so hard, it's things you will have never heard much outside of the bedroom. Let's just say not even your friends will talk like this to you. 

The Gazillionaire and his very visual imaginative talking sidekick Penny Pibbets have those dirty potty mouths that your Grandma would love to wash out with soap. Very, very funny acts who involved the crowd well and gave out barrels of laughs over and over again throughout the night. 

Acts are multiple time applaudable and the physiques of the performers are insane, especially the Duo Creative and Lost Souls who will display strength and balance using each other in a whole new way. 

Other acts included:

• Fire Burlesque - The leather outfit comes out in this act with fire dancing and a little cheeky strip down. 
• Chair Stacker - A bartender who will stack up chair upon chair, balancing himself on his hands upside down until he reaches the rooftop.
• Duo Straps - A love bird couple who hold each other up and twirl around on just these two dangling straps from the roof. 
• Balloon Strip - Self explanatory I guess this one is. A large balloon that has you see a women get into for a cheeky dance.
• Horizontal Bars - Monkey bars for pros. A duo of men who will swing around and around on bars, at times on the same bar whilst both swinging in a full 360 around the bar.
• Aerial Hoop - A duo of women who bond through the aerial hoops that are submerged above the audience in the air.
• High Wire - A trio of men who balance themselves all at once across a high wire with no ropes to keep them up and even hold another on their shoulders. 

There has never been a show more gobsmacking in entertainment then this. Be prepared to hear about the man and women's parts, foreplay, sex and even see some privates on stage at this production. It's a one of a kind, that's for sure.

Absinthe by Spieglworld is a show that goes for 90 mins with no breaks, which is something I actually really liked. I don't think its necessary for a show that runs for that amount of time to have a break.  Tickets are between $54-$154 dependent on the day you will attend.

After the show, media was given the chance to stay back for a meet and greet opportunity but unfortunately I couldn't take this up due to having other commitments but hopefully one day we'll meet Gazillionaire hehe. 

www.absintheaustralia.com

Miss Muddy is the perfect obstacle course to take on if you are wanting to ease into the obstacle course life, be surrounded by other women and just have fun. 

Miss Muddy is a 5km course with 16 obstacles that is for all fitness levels with the option of some obstacles having an easy or hard option. 

All obstacles are at your own discretion to do. Give it a go - you never know you may think you can't do it but you'll be amazed at what your body can actually achieve. 

                             BEFORE                                                                           AFTER

This time around Miss Muddy Melbourne was out at Sandown Racecourse in Springvale. More of a central location that was easier accessed to everyone in my opinion, even though I didn't mind the drive to Creswick last time around.

The MM course felt shorter at Sandown Racecourse and I didn't feel it had much of a distance between the obstacles to get to like at Creswick. 

MM switched up the course from last year and you would finish off with going through the water slides at the end rather than the mud pits last which I think was good and bad. 

Good - It was the best saved for last! The water slides are so much fun. 

Bad - Majority of the mud needs to be hosed off before you go onto the water slides and you're not as muddy for your photos at the end against the MM wall. Their was a photographer who took photos right after you got out of the mud pits but there was no MM banner up to get your pics against. 

MM had more photographers on course this time around with photographers being at points of after the paint cannons, foam pit, ice baths, mud pits and after the finish line on the MM wall. As apposed to last year where I only recall them being in two places later on in the afternoon - after the mud pits and at the finish line. 

What I love about getting involved with Miss Muddy and volunteering my time is being able to chat with entrants about why they are doing it and get them more pumped before they head out on track for their heat. 

The Miss Muddy team are always a pleasure to work with and really thank you for taking part in making this event come together for them. 

www.missmuddy.com.au