A day at The Village Play Cafe

Monday rolls around, it is school holidays and a day where I really do not have anything planned. This is a mistake today, my children are in need of some entertainment and as I nurse a possible ear infection and cannot see a doctor until tomorrow I search my brain for an idea of what to do, ignoring my children and their heckles that I take them to soft play centre. The weather seems OK for the beginning of July but my idea of visiting a zoo is put aside by that fact it is almost 11 am it will take an hour to get there, I have no food in the house to pack a picnic and the budget conscious part of me poo poos that idea because I refuse to fork out money for food I know they won't eat and also I don't fancy offering them hot chips as a complete meal AGAIN.

Anyhoo I googled kid friendly places to have lunch and there was a great list of cafes to take your kids to, all of them as I scrolled down the list were just that bit too far for us to drive ( in other words I could't be stuffed with a longish drive). I scrolled on and saw The Little Village Play Cafe, not too far and I have heard of it and always wanted to check it out so today was the day! I called my mum and she was keen to come along too.

When we arrived it was pretty quiet although we discovered earlier in the day had been quite busy. Walking through the door you see a bright crisp space, lots of tables to sit at and beyond those, a little village for the children to play in. We were able to choose a table to sit at, although I would recommend booking as I think we were rather lucky it was a quiet moment.The children immediately made for the play village and I approached the counter to get some menus. There is a charge for the children over the age of 12 months to play at the cafe but compared to some play centres I have been to I found the cost fairly reasonable.

The menu is simple and sweet, the small kitchen at the front of the cafe has a display of various turkish bread sandwiches with meat and meat free options, and salad too. There is also an impressive selection of slices, cookies and muffins! The options for children are so good, still a bit of a treat menu but not a chip or chicken nugget in sight! My 2 both had a smoothie each consisting of milk, fruit and honey and they are served in cute little child size mason jars. The kids loved them, my wee man downed his almost in one go,  My daughter had a ham and cheese croissant and for the picky bird like eater she is, she ate the whole thing and further to my surprise used a knife and fork to do so. My son ordered the raisin toast as he was hungry before we left the house and had already eaten a banana and a peanut butter sandwich. He was more than happy to have a good play instead!

The set up at The Little Village Play Cafe is so wonderful that it encourages children to engage in imaginary play and opportunities for social engagement in a safe and very pleasant environment. The Village has it's own Fire Station which doubles as a fire truck with it's 2 steering wheels, a grocery store where you will find all you need to stock up your pantry and you will always have a very helpful cashier working the till even if they are quite short. There is a tool shop for the handy fixer upper types, a hospital for those who need looking after, human, doll or animal. There is a cake shop perfect for the avid baker and a generous selection of dress ups in the Boutique for the children to become whoever they wish to be. At the back is a quiet little nook for reading and at the front near the tables a spot for the small children to play on a mat with access to toy shelves and bead frames secured to the wall which was very cool.

The Little Village Play Cafe also has shopping opportunities beautifully displayed, baby items, pampering things like face masks and lip balms, jewellery, tea and childrens clothing. Some of the baby items were so cute I even contemplated adding to my brood. Mum talked me out of that one! But in all seriousness there are some really lovely gift ideas in there for mums and young children at great prices.

We spent nearly 2 hours in The Little Village Play Cafe, I got to chat with my Mum, have a yummy lunch, two hot beverages and play with my kids in an environment that was stress free and so different to the typical play centres that are high energy, there is a really calm vibe about the cafe. The staff were incredibly polite and were great to chat to as well.

We left feeling refreshed and relaxed which is not something I think I have EVER said or felt after taking my kids out to have some lunch, either they are having a ball in some noisy place or they are bored and whiny if it is somewhere I would prefer to go. The Little Village Play Cafe provided the best of both worlds.

So if you are in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and you have little kids that need a play and you need a chill out I highly recommend The Little Village Play Cafe!

Facebook : The Little Village Play Cafe
Instagram: @thelittlevillageplaycafe
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9:30 - 3:30


Where are your fave places to take the kids out for a lunch date?

Fi xx

Getting Back on Track after Knee Surgery Part 3

6 weeks post op and I am cleared to start some of my physio and also get in the hydrotherapy pool. I am not a real lover of the water but spending time in the hydro pool has changed that a bit as this was my opportunity to get out of the house (finally clear to drive!) and have some time to myself that wasn't confined to the couch!
I was given simple things to do, beginning with increasing my knee's range of motion back to it's normal state, so that involved some walking in the pool, cycling my legs in the water and gentle kicking up and back the pool too. This was my first full body activity since the day I threw my knee out and it felt good to get moving and the water made such a help to how I was feeling and I was working harder than what I felt I was.

Going in the pool I was nervous and to be honest it was busy, "old people soup" I called it and to be honest I don't know why more people do not take advantage of this wonderful resource to help you get moving.
I wasn't ready to get back in the gym as I needed to avoided twisting and other movements so the pool was really my only outlet for movement. I really looked forward to going to the pool because of the opportunity to switch off and not talk to anyone and by the time I got home I was refreshed and just felt good! My Dad has been singing the praises of the hydro pool for well over a decade now as he has had back issues for some time, he is quite a fit man at the ripe age of 61 and has maintained an excellent level of fitness thanks to his pool work.

I was getting bored just doing my physio although necessary, I really needed something extra and the pool have water dumbbells available for the members to use. With the dumbbells I was able to utilise them to do some arms, shoulders and chest work. Adding this in really upped the intensity of my time in the pool and I felt like I was doing some decent work along with my knee rehab. Each day I was feeling a difference with my knee and minor improvements each and every day. I was going to the pool so much that I got myself an aquatic membership saving me heaps of money. A few weeks on my physio had me adding load onto my knee out of the water this time. Prior to this I was doing things like squats in the water as it made me feel lighter and I could get a wider range of motion and a deeper squat.

I extended my membership to be an unlimited one and was able to use the gym and add load to my knee using the machines ("load is king" my physio says). This was great as using free weights took much of the focus away from my knee so using the machines really helped me isolate what I needed to work on. He also had me doing stability work using a Bosu Ball and I loved the exercises so much I bought my own.

I began getting back into gym training in the new year going to classes that were for beginners so I could go at my own pace, such as getting up and down off the floor very, very, very, very slowly. Like a very drunk toddler finding her feet. It was great training with other people again and having a laugh in class, because it is almost impossible for me to get through a group session without a fit of the giggles.

During this time and even up until the present day I am still figuring out the training that is right for me. I did go back to kickboxing classes but avoided leg work (so I guess it was just boxing) but while I enjoyed the training, it just didn't feel right and I really enjoyed the strength training more so that is what I stuck with. I got a bike for my birthday on Boxing Day after the surgery and I really have enjoyed getting on the bike and riding the bike paths and trails, this becoming another peaceful outlet for me such as the pool had been. The bike also became an icebreaker to a new adventurous opportunity and expanded a friendship that I will write about another time.

Basically this year (2017) has been about how I learn what my body can do, what training I find mentally beneficial and what I can do that will ensure I am not in pain during training and also my everyday life. I really believe that it is so important to move your body but not to the detriment of your everyday life. Currently my knee is really good but I have lost some range and can no longer kneel my bum onto my heels and I can feel the scar tissue where I still have some restriction. All that aside I am not afraid of just moving, my knee locked out in so many different situations that I was unaware of when it would happen next. Training being the most obvious moments but even sitting at the dinner table or rolling over in bed did it. I no longer have this fear and it is very freeing and I am aware of my limitations where as before it was all guess work.


I hope you enjoyed my story

Fi x

Getting Back on Track After Knee Surgery Part 2

Getting back to normal life after the surgery was going to take some time and I spent much of my time watching the world go by.

For about a week after the operation my appetite was minimal but following that I had a regular appetite, I was concerned about gaining weight but not so much in a vanity sense as it was in the sense that I didn't want to have to focus on both weight management and rehab as I knew my ability to exercise for the time being was affected along with my usual day to day activities. That being said I made the decision to reduce my carbohydrate intake because of my reduced energy expenditure.

Well that was my thought but I did not take into account the amount of energy it would zap from me to do this meal prep I had planned. Getting around the kitchen on one leg was an effort but I managed, just very slowly until I had the idea of using the office chair on wheels. I wheeled around that kitchen like a boss! Also all the effort to meal prep was actually really good as it reduced the amount of work it took me to get a meal organised and cleaned up especially for times I was alone, and I am not very good at asking for help.

Moving around was hard and I was noticing the difficulty more and more especially since my legs were noticeably different sizes. Sitting on the side of my bed I bend my left leg back and forth and then compare it with the right and I have a long way to do as it moves stiffly and begins to shake as I get it to bend further.

The few weeks post op definitely took it's toll on us as a family, I am the main homemaker and do pretty much all the bits and bobs around the house (not garden unless it's ripping out bushes or something). Sitting back and watching my husband attempt to take on the work was hard, I wanted to guide him but also hold my tongue as he did things his way, it was such a challenge as I wanted to be grateful for him pitching in but at the same time wanting it done my way.

I learnt so much about letting go during this time and understanding that as long as the main priorities were sorted, our kids clean, fed and happy, food in the fridge clean clothes for school and work we can manage all the other stuff and will get done as it is needed. I have held onto this right up to the present day and it has made a big impact on how I priorities things. I can also ask someone else to do a job and not feel so consumed by how well it was done but being happy it was getting done and my time was free to get on with other things.

Requesting things got annoying sitting with my feet up asking for a cup of tea and items to be brought to me. The most unusual was "Honey can you please hold my foot". My foot got so cold!! I called the surgeon's office a number of times about this and the nurses were great gave me things to look out for so it was all good. Not comfortable though as my foot got so cold it hurt. 

This was about 6 weeks but it went quick as I had a few things going on. I hosted a screening of Embrace The Documentary for The Body Image Movement and it was great to keep myself busy promoting that and when the big night came talking to the people who came along about the wonderful initiative of positive body image. The timing was perfect as I avoided being frustrated with myself and limitations (although temporary) thanks to the wonderful messages this movie sends out. 

This part of my recovery was the most mentally challenging as I felt like there was not much to distract me apart from organising the movie screening. Doing nothing or not much is incredibly demotivating especially when the things you want to do are things you are not able to do. But I knew it wasn't permanent and that was the silver lining.

Thanks for reading 

Part 3 to come
Click here for Part 1

Fi 

x

Big leg, Little leg

All the wonderful attendees for Embrace

Sitting out, feeling the boredom.

Doing my best to be ok with the mess!