August Photo Challenge

It’s been a while since I have joined in a daily photo challenge, so when tinagray{dot}me blogged about a list she was going to do during August, I jumped on aboard. So for anyone else interested in joining in, here’s the list.

•Day 1: Anything; whatever you want.
•Day 2: Something that makes you smile.
•Day 3: Something that you collect.
•Day 4: Something that stresses you out.
•Day 5: A cup you drank from today.
•Day 6: Someone who inspires you.
•Day 7: A picture of your phone.
•Day 8: What you had for lunch today.
•Day 9: Shoes.
•Day 10: A product you use in your hair.
•Day 11: Your pet.
•Day 12: A sneak picture you took in class/at work/out and about.
•Day 13: Nature.
•Day 14: Somewhere you went today.
•Day 15: A device that you own but never use/touch.
•Day 16: Something that makes you sad.
•Day 17: Something that you have too much of and is taking up unnecessary space.
•Day 18: Something you’re currently borrowing from someone.
•Day 19: Something you don’t have much of.
•Day 20: A stuffed doll/animal that you own.
•Day 21: Something from your bathroom.
•Day 22: Something sweet.
•Day 23: A book you’ve been reading.
•Day 24: Something you shouldn’t have bought, but did anyways.
•Day 25: A souvenir from a vacation.
•Day 26: Something that means a lot to you.
•Day 27: Your handwriting.
•Day 28: Something purple.
•Day 29: Something in your fridge.
•Day 30: You.

On the 31st of August, Tina will post her photos from the month along with a linky so you can check out everyone’s photos! Head over to tinagray{dot}me and leave her a comment if you’re going to join us!

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

After months of rehearsals, Zachary has performed in his school production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and, without any mummy bias at all, it was fantastic! I wasn’t able to get many photos during the performance, but here is a few that were displayed on the night.

 

The production poster

Demetrius, Hermia & Lysander

Demetrius, Helena & Lysander

Lysander & Hermia

And a few I took…….

Well done to all the cast & crew members - you did a brilliant job and the performance was enjoyed by everyone :)

Magic 100 Words - Victorian Cursive!

It’s been quite a few years since I have had a child in prep, and over time many things have changed and some have stayed the same. One thing that has evolved dramatically in that time is the internet and the availability of information and resources and the ability to easily share them with others.

Ironically one thing I found that hadn’t changed, was the availability of free things in “Victorian Cursive” which is the writing/reading model that Victorian schools use. I could find hundreds and thousands of resources to help Jacob at home but they were and just in a standard print or a cursive that was slightly different.

Jacob had been telling me about his “magic golden words” he was learning and wanted me to print them out for him. So after googling and googling, all I could find was the words in a standard print. Well after a little investigating, I found you can download the Victorian Cursive font from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development - Thank you!!!!

So I went back and found the word list that comprised of the first “Magic 100 Words” and made a sheet for him in Victorian Cursive. I broke the 100 up into the 7 coloured categories: Golden, Red, Blue, Orange, Green, Indigo and Violet, so he could have the individual sheets when he was up to them.

Who would have thought that a simple printed out word list could make a kids so happy? He has blu-tacked the word list he is learning to the side of his dresser and tells us the words before he goes to bed.  Yes, I know, terribly cute :)



EDIT: I have done an update post HERE that has a link to the files in .docx, .txt and .pdf format :)

Vaseline Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion

Product Talk by Nuffnang

For just over a week now, I have had the opportunity to try Vaseline’s “Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion” and I must say I have been pleasantly surprised.  As a nurse, I am constantly washing my hands, using alcohol rub or wearing latex gloves so my hands tend to suffer from dryness. When trying this product, I concentrated on my hands and elbows so I could see the results.   I’ve tried many products in the past with varying results, but the one thing I hate is when your hands feel greasy for ages afterwards. Not with Vaseline’s “Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion”!

I loved how the conditioning lotion seem to soak into my skin quickly and still left my my hands with that just moisturised feel. I was able to do my hair after applying it without my brush flying out of my hands :) I really liked that it had a delicate, fresh scent that wasn't overpowering. An added bonus was that my nails are actually looking healthier. Pity I have to trim them for work :(

Now my elbows are pretty rough and I have tried many ways to soften them and make them appear better. I found that the Vaseline’s “Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion” has left them feeling softer but best of all has made them look less unattractive.

Vaseline’s “Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion” has vitamins A, E and B5 which help hydrate and nourish skin. It is available in a variety of sizes from pharmacies and supermarkets and the RRP of $7.29 for the 375ml pump pack is quite reasonable.

For more information visit http://www.vaseline.com.au

Tangled Giveaway - Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered my Tangled giveaway!  I loved reading about your favourite Disney movies. There were 14 entries in this giveaway (17 comments minus 3 that were mine). So the winning comment number is number…………

2 - Your Cheeky Monkey!

Congratulations! I will be in contact shortly :)

 

Look out for my next giveaway shortly!!!!

Recipe Muster!

My gorgeous friend Fiona has just started her own recipe blog, Recipe Muster.  Fiona is a wife and mother to 3 beautiful children aged between 5 and 1. So what makes her new recipe blog so different from the gazillions already out there? Her son has multiple food allergies so most of Fiona’s recipes are dairy, egg, soy, nut, tomato and strawberry free! She already has a few recipes posted - a fabulous Pumpkin Soup, a Pumpkin Pasta, Chocolate Slice and awesome Pizza Muffins!

So pop on over to Recipe Muster and tell Fiona that Nat sent you over to have a sticky nose and her new blog.

Friday Favourites - iPhone Apps

Friday Favourites #1

I love blog hops so I thought I’d start my own!
Announcing my very first Friday Favourites. Each Friday I will put up a new favourites topic and you can link yours up. There’s no limit to how many favourites you can have for a topic, some you may have 1, on others you might have quite a list! You might just find that you discover a new favourite from someone else.
So let’s get on with the first topic - iPhone Apps!

Instagram is an absolute fav of mine. I love how I can turn “blah” photos into awesomeness!

Facebook - pretty self explanatory really. I have a bad habit of checking my fb all the time!

Twitter - I’m just starting to figure out Twitter - and now I can use this app when I’m away from the computer.

Period Tracker Deluxe - definitely one for the girls!

Pinterest - just like a giant pin board and now I can pin away from my iPhone

Footy Live - I love my AFL! With this app I can check the scores in real time


 

BlogPress - So I can blog straight from my iPhone

Get Glue - Check in to movies and tv shows you’re watching, books you’re reading or simply what you’re thinking about. Of course you have the option to follow friends and see what they’re up to too.

ebay - I love not needing to sit at the computer waiting for an auction to end.

Foxtel Guide - Don’t you hate it when you’re out and you have forgotten to record something on TV. With this app, I can login to my Foxtel and record away.

So there is it - my first Friday Favourite. I can’t wait to find out what some of your favourite iPhone app are.  Please add the link to your Friday Favourites post, not you blog’s home page.

Polly Dolly - The Ugg Boot

I’ve been following Dannimezza for a while and have always liked her Polly Dolly posts. So, this week I thought I would give it a go and lo and behold it’s all about one of my all time favourite items - the Ugg Boot! So here’s my first Polly Dolly attempt :)

I’ve teamed my gorgeous Ugg’s with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a black hoodie and a vibrant blue scarf just to add a little colour. I couldn’t forget the accessories like the sweet heart pendant and gold stud earrings. Topping the look off is the pale pink nail enamel, pink lippie and eye shadow in a range of browns.  And just because I can, I’m adding Adele’s album “21” to the look because it’s awesome!

 

Tangled: A Review and GIVEAWAY!!

 

If there’s one thing I love doing, it’s snuggling up on the couch to watch a good movie. It seems Jacob shares my passion for this, so when a copy of Tangled arrived for us to review it was couch, popcorn, blanket, GO!

Tangled is Rapunzel with attitude! For a girl who has been lived in a tower her whole life, she can certainly take care of herself. Fantastic characters like Maximus the stallion and Pascal the chameleon add to the wonderful adventure. And we can’t forget the handsome thief, Flynn who helps Rapunzel escape to the “dangerous outside world”. 

Not only is Tangled a fantastic movie, it has an equally beautiful soundtrack that features songs like “I see the light”

Jacob loved the movie - declaring it “not just a girl movie!” When I asked him if he had a favourite part his answer was “all the parts with Maximus - he’s a really awesome horse!”

Tangled is available NOW and the RRP for the Tangled Blu-ray and DVD is $49.95

Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of the DVD courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment via Aussie Mummy Bloggers. No financial payment was offered nor accepted for this post. All opinions expressed are purely my own.

So, if you’ve read right down to here, you must want to know about the giveaway.

For your chance to win a copy of Tangled, leave me a comment telling me what your favourite Disney movie is.

For an extra entry, share my giveaway (blog it, Facebook it, tweet it, etc.)and leave a separate comment telling me how you’ve shared.

This giveaway is open to Australian residents only and will close on Friday the 15th July at 5PM EST.  Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you win!

Good Luck!

A Day of Interesting Mail Deliveries…….

We’ve had a few interesting items turn up in our mail over the last few days. Today, I received a DVD that was posted in April, hubby got a May bank statement and an ebay purchase, that should have arrived early last week, turned up by courier.  OK, not too strange, but………..

Every now and then we all get mail delivered to us that isn’t ours. It might be the last people who lived at your address, the neighbours or maybe simply incorrectly addressed. I have no idea how the letter below ended up being delivered in our letterbox. I have blacked out (not on the envelope, after I took the pic) the information on this letter that does not relate to us.

Yes, you are seeing that correctly. The only details we have in common with that envelope is the house number and the fact we live in a court! That means wrong name, street name, suburb, state and postcode!!

Well, the arrival of this letter ended my enjoyment of a pyjama day as I did the right thing and headed to the post office to get the letter back on it’s merry way to it’s rightful owner. OK, after the ladies in the post office had a right, roaring giggle about it :)

Has anyone else ever had this happen to them?????

Making a house fit a fridge!

Ok, I know most “normal” people measure up the spot they have to put a new refrigerator before buying one. What do we do - find the one we want and then MAKE the house fit it!

Yup, that’s my poor hubby up there tearing apart the cupboard that used to house the old gas water heater. It’s just inside the laundry by I had a plan to make it part of the kitchen :)

That’s right - knock out the doorway!  When you have a vision of how something is going to look, sometimes you just have to go for it (after you convince your husband that it was his idea!)

I’m pretty impressed that this was the only casualty of the weekend! And just like any good loving wife, I whacked a band-aid on it (so he would get blood over the nice white wall) and told him to get back to work - I love supervising :)

And here is the finished project - well nearly. Still need to put back the skirting boards, but I have convinced hubby that “his” idea to continue these nice sleek lines to the pantry and replace the doors :)

And since I am soooooooooo in love with my new fridge, here is a much better picture of it.

*Sob* My blog love is gone :(

Image from Here :)

I’m so sad :( All my lovely blog comments from the last few months have gone. I have been having issues with the commenting system I was using, so I decided to uninstall it last night and go back to the blogger comment system.  I knew the comments would no longer be visible, but it’s still sad.