A fast one

Not much is happening so just for fun let's have a Christmas/New Year Giveaway

It may be a few years since you smelt it, but I still love Nutrimetics apricot range and lucky for me my sister sells the stuff so I have the whole range at my finger tips.

To grab a bottle, just say hello in the comments below and random.org will choose a winner. Fast game is a good game, so let's make this a fast one, I will draw the winner in 48 hours so someone can start the year with some good luck.

It was damn hard to get a photo so I have cheated and got a screen grab from the Nutrimetics site...as you can see it is worth $33, but even they could not get a decent image!

Happy New Year and now I am back to my blogcation.

Merry Christmas, see you in 2011

Wow, who would have ever thought a few months ago when I started out begging my family and close friends to at least pretend to read my blog that I would be here.

I have now found myself a part of a whole new community, a new world of information filled with amazing and generous women(and a handful of men). The virtual world has kept me entertained, given me virtual friendships that I strongly expect will become real ones over time. I have been supported and encouraged and listened to when I am grumbly.

I have even been paid to write...something I would never have expected in a million years.

So to you all I say a big enormous thank you for reading, for commenting and encouraging me along the way.

I am taking a little bloggy break over Christmas but I will certainly be back in 2011.

From the Babble House to yours we wish you a delightful Christmas, may it be safe, peaceful, fun and full of calories.

Xx

The cupboard of Infinite Gifts

Imagine if you were given the choice to have an infinite amount of something, anything at all.

I have been pondering this question and asking SS what he would want, if you could only pick one thing that was infinite what would that one thing be.

The easy things are happiness, love, money, world peace. But you can’t really be crazy happy all the time and money wont always buy happiness.

Good health is also on the list, excellent health for life for everyone – but how then would we all cark it eventually? Just sleep to death? 

But finally I have figured it out.

I need an infinite amount of things to give. 

It is the giving that makes us happy.

Money wouldn’t be a problem as I wouldn’t have to find cash to buy gifts, just a cupboard that had a gift for someone, anyone, everytime I need it. 

Homeless man needs a blanket – tick!

Young Mum in need requires nappies  - tick!

Kid at school needs money for lunch everyday – tick!

Elderly person needs new walking stick – tick!

My Christmas Shopping done from now until eternity -BIG FAT TICK!

The cupboard of infinite gifts will provide for all.

Disclaimer: this post is prompted by a blogging comp sponsored by Vodafone Infinite Plans

  

Image sourced from here

Aussie Wordless Wednesday: Aussie Golden Sands

You can travel the world but you wont find the golden sands and clear blue seas like we have.

Especially not one topped off this gorgeously.

Merry Christmas from Australia.

Join up here with the Aussie Wordless Wednesday Linky.

For the kids at Christmas Island

If you only have a couple of dollars to spare and want to make a mini donation here is the place to go...

Quickly, pop over to Louisa's blog, she is a lady on a mission to get toys to the kids in detention on Christmas Island. The paypal widget is on the side to make it really easy for you.

Louisa is racing around calling, begging, collecting and collating toys so the kids we have in detention might see a little hope this Christmas time.

A couple of dollars here and there will all help her to reach her target.

She only needs about another $350 to reach her goal, but she needs to get it by tomorrow.

And a plug for the businesses that are supporting her campaign so far...

Tiger Tribe
Just Us Kids
Fairground Child
Tree Top Toys
Crayola

Country carols make for a perfect night

We are just back from a little beach holiday, booked at the last minute to Phillip island.

Immy turned two and we went to the local Carols night at San Remo, it was pure country town carols.

We stayed right to the end and even though the local children were not very inclusive, Popps' Christmas spirit could not be dampened. She hit that stage with her electric candle, introduced herself to anyone she could and sang her heart out.

The band didn't seem to be able to pick the audience tone too well though, no Rudolph and some very quiet preschoolers when the lead singer started with, "we know you know this one" and launched into "Away in a Manger"... Actually, no they didn't know that one.

But there is something very special about eating fish and chips, Santa whizzing around on a fire truck, listening to a big band play Christmas carols and sitting on the beach while you celebrate your little girl turning two and your big girl growing in confidence.

It was a perfect night.

When we left today, Popps said she didn't really want to go home to Australia, she wanted to stay at Phillip Island forever.

We have a Handmade winner

The winner of the Handmade Living giveaway is:

Natalie (tiny and little)


Natalie can you please email your address to the lovely Ali at Parkeden and she will send your package to you asap.

But if you didn't win, don't despair, Ali is providing BabbleOn followers the chance to purchase with a discount:

Ali says,

"I have a 15% discount which can be used at checkout for custom orders. Use the code HANDMADE15 when making your purchase.The code will expire midnight boxing day...so hurry!" 

 

Get shopping here... Park Eden

Aussie Wordless Wednesday: Popps and Poppy

Poppy got taken on an excursion to the Melbourne Museum. I am not sure who enjoyed it the most.

Joining up with Aussie Wordless Wednesday

Letter to the world, from Immy

Hello world,

when people say 'smile' this is what I do

It's me, Immy Molly Moo, and I am now all grown up.

Today I am two.

Now that I am getting so big I have a few things to let you know, some tips for other younger people and some stories to tell you.

First up, if you are a toddler here are some of my tips to encourage total attention from old people.
Whenever those granny nanny people visit, jump on them screaming out their name, throw your arms around them and squeeze them in a big cuddle. Now you are set, they will get you the good biscuits from the top shelf, not the boring ones your mum gives you when she says, "no more", Nana's find things in their pockets for you to play with, read you any book you drag to their laps and even spoon feed you if that is what you want. These are what I call Grannies in your hand, so don't stand back.

Second, let me tell you my older sister is the bestest sweetest sister ever, some moments she isn't giving me enough attention, I have found biting is not the best option, though lately my teeth are finally coming through and I like to gnaw on Popps' finger a bit. But for fastest results pulling hair is good cos you can run off as soon as you do it. Popps comes in very handy when there are bigger kids around, she protects me if they start to annoy me, but she also gets scared easily so sometimes I just run over and push those other kids over, than they leave her alone, they never expect the itty bitty one to knock them down.

I now have over 500 words, and I like to stand on the bench and do singing concerts, again, mum is not keen about this and shouts something about falling off chairs and hospital or something, whatever, I like pushing chairs around and climbing back up there, sometimes I play with these clicky things up there that turn things on and off, but you should only do this when the mum woman isn't watching.

...just pop this in here, then clicky click click... bugger caught again!

Dad looks after us sometimes, that means we go to the park, it is fun, but sometimes he forgets the black bag that hangs near the door and then I get all wet and he frets and we have to go home. He is very good at playing chasey, hide and seek and counting, sometimes he can count up to 12 on his own, but I usually have to help him.

If you are like me and get dropped at crèche some days, I always find it best to give the Mum woman, who looks a bit different on those days, I think she brushes her hair or something, a very grumpy stare, and be silent, do not blow kisses, do not cry or say bye or wave, just a deathly silent grumpy stare, it makes her hang around longer, giving you cuddles, then she always mutters something about forever being late, to wherever it is she goes.

If you haven't got it, grab yourself some copies of Spot books or teletubbies...they are uber cool, green sheep stuff is good too, but most of all a pram and some dolls, they are fun. But if you are feeling a bit bored in the car, which I always am, I recommend constantly taking off your shoes and socks and throwing them around, the grown ups will go on about "can't you just leave them on for once, where is that sock, I am sick of buying you new socks" they really carry on, it's super funny.

Last of all, every toddler should have a blankie, mine is stripy, it goes everywhere I go and I love love love it. It can be used to hide under, as a horse to ride around, as a blanket for my dolls or to snuggle into. It is my bestest everest thing, but if you don't have one, do not touch mine, I will whip it away so quick you'll get rope burn.

So here I am world, getting bigger and more fabulous by the day, my family think I am the bees knees, I love them to bits too. I am two now, so that means cake. I better go put my whole hand in the middle of it and eat it up.

Squishy cuddles and slobbering kisses,

Immy Molly Moo

This is me practicing to be a ballerina, I really am very sweet.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree, how real are you.

Ok, I am going to admit it, you may all send nasty comments and most likely defensive ones but here goes.

I hate plastic Christmas Trees.

Despise, loathe, dislike.

Right now when I get home each day I open the door and the Christmas tree waft welcomes me in and reminds me of all that needs to be done, but also of all the joys of Christmas past. I get excited thinking of how happy the girls will be when they wake on Christmas morning, I can even tolerate the Wiggles Santa CD.

The smell of that tree is like a yummy smelly hug of comfort! 

Just like the smell of home grown ripe tomatoes reminds me of fresh, white bread sangas piled high with layers of juicy red tomato over the summer.

The smell of a certain perfume reminds you of good friends.

A roast cooking just makes you hungry.

A pine tree gets you all happy and festive, wipes away any Bah Humbug feeling you may have.

Recently, I mentioned to a friend how I hated fake trees, she responded with, "Oh, but ours is a good one." I told her there is no such thing. We laughed about how far the humble plastic tree has come in thirty years.

For me, getting the tree was once about sourcing one from the surrounding paddocks or roadside, now it is a humorous task to watch Mr H get it up there on the car, drive home and drag it in. The girls squealing with delight as this happens. Not unpacking a dusty box from the shed and peeling off last years tinsel that is still hanging in there.

one year I want to have a tree like this!!

So now, go ahead tell me all your excuses of why you need a fake tree...

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Four women and a beach house

Remember that I went away, I have barely blogged since my return due to being a bit over committed, but I have barely stopped thinking about it, we just talked and talked and talked.

The cast of women included Ms Never Sleeps, Ms Never Late, Ms Always Smiling and Me. Four women, each with two children, all working within the Marketing Arena in some way. All eagerly awaiting a weekend of calmness, space and good company all at once.

Together we enjoyed the benefits of sipping wine and champers all weekend without getting smashed. I concocted a cocktail of sorts with lime and mint and we sat about reading papers, eating cheeses and fixing the problems of the day. We lunched, we cooked, we tried out the local counter meals and slipped home to more wine and more gossip.

We celebrated With Ms Never Late as she got the call confirming they just bought a house at auction. We drank to Ms Never Sleep for reclaiming her name and moving one step closer to her new life. We encouraged (ok, nearly forced) Ms Always Smiling to re-enter the world of dating.

We confirmed that we are all looking bloody great, because wobbly bits don't count anymore (mainly just on me, but they were nice enough to try and point out their own wobbles).

We had calls from husbands and kids to confirm they were all perfectly fine and then headed off for some amazing beach side walks. Beach walking on a perfect day must be the only exercise I love to do, I never wanted the beach to end.

We learned that Never Late walks around in her undies alot and is not good at finding the keys. Never Sleeps actually seems to rarely even go to bed, falling asleep on the couch both nights. Always Smiling will drink any concoction I make her and has renamed her car the Craptiva (this made me giggle, even while squished in with the car seat we were too lazy to move). And that I was possibly addicted to Twitter.
We headed home from the beach for massages we had ordered previously...true dinks, I was in heaven.

I didn't even stress about being away from the kids for three days. I was so relaxed and SS had it all under control. During one of my dips into the freezing water I found two shells and decided the girls would love them as a little gift on my return. I washed them out and took them back to the house...and look who popped out a few hours later....

This is not a sponsored post, but if you need a place for a getaway, with family, friends or even on your own grab a house from http://www.holidayshacks.com.au/ and soak up the good life.

Aussie Wordless Wednesday: Dolly Nap

Everyone needs to have their clothes off, blankie on, and off to sleep.

Joining up with Aussie Wordless Wednesday, now hosted at My Little Drummer Boys

Handmade Living: A GIVEAWAY

I have come across a product that is super cute and handy all at the same time.

Forget messy pin boards or tacks that get dropped to the floor and end up in your foot when you are creeping to bed that night.

And please don’t make me put pinboards on the walls for all the invites, crèche notices, reminders and sticky notes.

Remember the cork boards made from real wine bottle corks when you were in Girl Guides? No, oh, they were great, smelt like old wine too...but in the days of screw top lids and fancy homes we need something much prettier for all the paper crap that lands on your kitchen bench each night.

So to celebrate the launch of the new book…Handmade living…and one of the loveliest crafters in the book, Ali from Park Eden,  you can win a copy of Handmade living right here.

AND Ali is throwing in one of her DIY magnet board kits. The kits inlcude the A4 Magnet sheet, DIY step by step instructions, Button tool kit to make the magnetic buttons, 4 x 28 mm buttons, 4 x magnets (pre-glued. 

You can get crafty and make your own fabulous magnet board.

To win, just check out Ali’s online store and let me know what you could do with one of her products. Easy as that!
 
Ali will pick the winning comment on Friday 10 December (Entries close 5pm) and have your handmade living pack – including a copy of Handmade living and a Park Eden DIY magnet board kit sent to you in time for Christmas – as a gift or to keep all to yourself


If you are keen to see more you can also check out the facebook page or see Ali at the next market on Saturday 11 December at Fairy Floss Markets Doncaster. They make great Christmas gifts for the impossible to buy for people.

I have my two front teeth, so this would be handy instead.

While the jolly red man will have the kidlets smiling on Christmas day, my own Mum has asked me to send her my Christmas wish list…woo hoo, this doesn’t happen very often as usually I just get whatever lovely thing they decide to wrap up for me and gone are the days when I would cut out Cabbage Patch dolls and stick them on the fridge as a subtle reminder of what I wanted.

However, to make things easy for Mum - as she has been ordered to read my blog seven times a day to boost the stats - she can now read and get my Chrissie list sorted online. (If you work for a PR company, feel free to send me one of these beauties to trial too.

So Here 'tis  the list for 2011 shall include:

(Mum you may pick from the list or if that is too hard just buy the lot!)

1) I need to improve my Domestic Goddess Patheticness, and to do that, the apron must appear.

But she must be fancy

Find it on MadeIT

Find this on MadeIT

2) A handmade dress from Etsy, this would be easy to throw on to take the girls to the park, or fancy enough for the office. 

3) A lovely handmade necklace from Pink Apple, with some lovely clips to go with it.

3) A Candle - like this one from MOR's, how lovely it is!

4) Some new shoes; these should get me through the summer holidays...

Walnut Melbourne

5) A trashy novel for warm summer days

from all good book retailers or online at bookdepositry.com.au

I nice shiny new laptop, or tickets to Europe would also be happily accepted, but failing that and all the above, some curried lamb chops with Mum's scalloped potatoes is a winning gift every time.

A night away from my children, once in five years.

There are a stack of reasons why, like breast feeding, no where to go, no baby sitter at the right time, no cash to spend on luxury things, but somehow it has come to pass that I have gone nearly five years without a single full night to myself.

Giving birth to Immy and spending a few nights at the Sofitel does NOT count, cos Immy was actually with me at all times, and I was stuck in bed (ok, with room service and movies on demand) with some rather nasty stitches in the nether regions!

The time has come, the stars and moon have aligned.

I am having a girls weekend of luxury and relaxation.

I am fortunate to have a little posse of fabulous friends, the intelligent, tell it like it is, hang around in the shit times, we can all can all work this out type of women that I love to be around. We don't catch up enough cos we all work, run small businesses, have kids and commitments to get to.

Ms Never Sleep has organised the house on the beach and the massage person to come to us.

The pub is a quick walk away

The beach is literally out the window.

There are four rooms, and four woman...my own room, my own bed... Be still my beating heart.

Jealous??? I would be!


image - this is really where I will be!

A response

Yesterday I posted my feelings about the lack of response from people who receive an organ donation.

You can read that story here

My sister and her family asked to write a response, of course I said yes.





My sister has put up a blog post about our beautiful little boy, our little angel with red hair, who is always on our minds. Not a day goes past that we don't wish he has here with our family.


Our lives changed in many ways that day. From missing a part of our family to the way we look at life now. How we look after our living children, the fear that something so crappy might happen again to the famliy, wraping the kids up in cotton wool is now a permanent way of life.

But we also felt out of something so horrible, something good has to come out of it. Donating Lochie's organs  was a simple choice for us, after sitting in intensive care with so many sick kids, if one family never has to go through what we were about to, we would be happy with our choice.

Having to bury your little boy is one thing that will NEVER leave us.


Yes, we have had letters and thanks from some of the peolpe and it makes us really happy to know Lochie is walking around in some way, somewhere. Hopefully humming to his favorite song Hat Town...yes, he was a real country boy!

He is talked about every day in our famliy.

He is Missed.

A cheeky little boy full of life that followed his father around in farm boots and dust, but was also happy to cook a cake with his mum and to play with his little brother Matt and new born sister Abbey.

He will always be Loved.

Lochie lives on in more hearts than ours.

This is not really my story to write, it was not my child, but I loved him immensely when he was here and I miss him painfully now he isn't. I recently did a brief post for a friend looking for people for some organ transplant research, I was just helping out another Mumprener with her business.

But it got me thinking about organ donations again.

About Lochie.

About the people who now live thanks to receiving his gifts.

They were Lochie's gifts, but more so they were gifts from his parents. Parents who woke one Easter Tuesday morning and started the day like normal, with three healthy children and after unfortunate and extraordinary circumstances would have to kiss their son goodbye for the last time. At the same time they made the extremely unselfish decision to donate his organs.

At least seven other children now live thanks to this decision.

Lochie was three years and eight months old when he died in Intensive Care at Royal Children's Hospital.

Organ receipients don't know my sister and her family. They know they received organs from a male child from Victoria, aged three.

They have the option to write letters to the donor family through the organ donor organisation. The letters go through the agency to keep the privacy of each family, as they should.

Initially there were a couple of letters to say thanks, and a few lines about the child and how their health had improved.

Then they stopped.

And this is where I have an issue. Why did they stop? Do the families of those who are now alive forget about the decision that was made so courageously by Lochie's parents?

Do they worry what to say, or that their words may be upsetting? Have they just moved on with their now healthy lives?

Because we still have a missing piece. We celebrate a childs birthday with the birthday boy not there. We send balloons to heaven and think about what he might have liked for Christmas this year, would he still believe in Santa? What would he have been like at school? We wish he could have made it to his first day of kinder that he was so looking forward to.

Sending a card just once a year to say;

"We hope you are well and we continue as always to thank you for the decision you made, which changed our lives and gave our child and us, so much."

Best wishes,

Recipient

Is this too much to ask?

Don't think for one moment Lochie's parents would ever expect this, but this is what makes me even angrier, they did so much for others and expect nothing, zip, nadda in return, they even make excuses for people that never ever said thank you.

I am not so forgiving.

I want the world to praise them, (and any other parent who makes this decision) out loud, to say, we remember what you did and your child. We celebrate that your child still lives on in us.

I want them to add their organ donor to their Christmas card list, to say thank you every year, you made the right decision, you really gave the ungiveable, the gift of life.

And if they find that hard to do, then shame on them. Hard is a small white coffin lowered into the ground with your child inside it.

What I really really want right now is to be wrapping a present to put under my tree, with a gift card that says "Lochie".

I can't, but if anyone in your family, or even a good friend is the lucky receiver of an organ, maybe you could put pen to paper this Christmas and remind the donor family they are fabulous people, and you do remember them from time to time.






Post Script
Added Tues30 November
Lochie's family write a response.

Daddy day care is coming.

The silly season is literally banging down our door.

Mr H is about to start four weeks leave. I suggested to my work that I could do more hours and for the next few weeks I will be working three or four days a week.

This shouldn't be such a big deal, but as I try to organise us all for the next month I've realised, I am way too busy to work! I have to reschedule my hair appointment, carefully planned and booked in eight weeks ago. I expect I need to get Aussie Farmers on board to ensure we have something that is not from a packet at snack time.

As we are hosting Christmas I would like to have considered doing a couple of things, like cleaning out the fridge of all the mystery jars (does anyone else have a shelf or two filled with condiment jars?)to make way for more gourmet options, special cheeses and treats that we can indulge in to celebrate christmas together.

I have the gazillion presents to buy and wrap and two little girls birthdays to organise.

Plus, the girls are coming out of crèche for six weeks (hello instant pay rise!)and I have to put all my faith in Mr H to remember the suncream, the water bottles, the hats, the nappy bag, the schedule and the kids. Mr H is a great Dad, when I first returned to work he was Daddy day care for Popps for two days a week. But he does things his own way, he doesn't stick to the schedule and one day can be filled with swimming, the zoo, and a play centre all in the one day, a giant donut king milkshake for lunch.

He is refusing to provide daily itineraries!

So next week we will become a nut house, a frenzy of activity organising for christmas, working, shopping, cooking, playing.

And amongst all that I will have a weekend away...can't wait to tell you all about it.

Organ Transplants - received or waiting?

A good friend of mine is currently undertaking some research for a medical company.

They are looking to interview (face to face) people who have received an organ transplant of any kind in the past year or who are waiting to receive a transplant.

If you are able to assist by answering some questions, or you would just like to know a bit more about it, please email Pip from BrandHook.

You can be located in Melbourne or Sydney.

Aussie Wordless Wednesday has a new home

Thank you for all joining up with me lately.

Aussie Wordless Wednesday has a new Aussie home.

click over to.

http://mylittledrummerboys.blogspot.com/


And link up.

I will see you there!

A friendly letter to Coles and Safeway

Dear Coles and Safeway Management

Remember the good old days when you employed trolley boys? They were generally teenagers earning pocket money grabbing the trolleys and clearing the car park for you, keeping an eye on the trolley theft situation and possibly helping out the odd Granny with her grocery bags. You paid them (maybe not much, but you did pay them) and you still prospered very well.

For a few years now you have insisted that we pay a gold coin donation for the special privilege of pushing the now bigger than ever family trolley around. Sure, we can get it back, it is kind of like a deposit.

But have you noticed how hot it happens to be in Australia? Have you any idea how hot a car is when sitting out in the car park for an hour in the summer? Do you know how quickly a small baby or child can die in such cars?

I suggest you do a little experiment with two or more small children, especially one that is under six months and one that is around 2 or 3 and $200 of groceries. It must also be over 30 degrees.

Step 1:  Pay for the supplies and push the trolley out to the car park holding firmly to the toddlers hand and pushing the trolley with only one hand.

Step 2. Unload the children into the hot car, because otherwise you are leaving them in a trolley in the middle of the road in the car park.

Step 3. Hurry to unpack the stuff into the car.

Step 4. You now lock your children into the hot car while you walk about 40 metres to return your trolley, of course when you get there, that is the slot for the "small" trolleys and yours will not fit. Walk back past your car to the other trolley bay, bugger, someone has now put an Aldi trolley there and yours will not fit again. Walk to the third one and finally recover your $2. Run back to the car to relieve upset dehydrated children.

Clearly this is not an ideal situation and quite a health risk to really small infants. Or the extremely sick little girl with cancer that I saw yesterday, who has finally prompted this post. Her mother was stressed when she couldn't get her token back, it wasn't the coin, but a token for her to reuse. We put her trolley into my trolley, I pushed the two trolleys back into the store as none of the bays would take our trolleys back. She watched all four children so we could leave the doors open, I was also concerned about leaving my kids when I couldn't see them. The sisterhood had a win in the car park.

So, once again the hot weather is here and my donations to Coles and Safeway start stacking up as I leave my trolley and coin behind. Coles, Safeway, if either of you would like to refund me my $50 trolley fund money, let me know.

Or perhaps you could bring back the trolley boy.

Kindest regards
Ms C Hewitt

P.S. Dont even consider telling me about the trolley for two kids, I saw it once, but have never seen it again, did you both just order one for the media release image?

P.P.S I know Aldi is the same, but they never pretend to offer service in the first place.


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