Imagine if you had a secret weapon to navigate life.

Imagine when you were born someone handed you a secret weapon to assist you to navigate through life.

A little secret tool that gave you confidence to walk into a room when you were feeling really shy.

A secret weapon that was the answer to insomnia,  you would always sleep well with this tool beside you.

The same little thing could provide you with the ability to remain calm when all around you was a little madness.

Your secret weapon would save you from loneliness, together you were always ok, your secret weapon  reminded you that there was plenty to do in your imagination.

Imagine if when you physically hurt yourself, just rubbing this little treasure could take the pain away and make you feel better.

One little object that could reduce any anxiety, provide courage and calmness, bravery and pain management and all costing nothing and hurting no one.

But then one day, the big people around you decided that you shouldn't have this object anymore, and no matter how you cried, begged and pleaded they didn't listen and they took it away.

It wouldn't feel very good.

And that is why Stinky Blanklet will be staying for some time yet.

Winning Weekend: Dogs and Dark Spots.

This post is sponsored by Garnier Dark Spot Corrector

This is what I started with.

I have been lazing around in the sun doing pretty much, nothing all week. I might keep doing that for the weekend too so it is a great time for a Winning Weekend post.


A few weeks ago I was invited into the lovely offices at Garnier. I have been in there a few times now and every time we are entertained in what I think is the best staff kitchen area I have ever seen. I am yet to work at a place that actually lets the staff share great views of the area rather than just plonk the offices on that side of the building to only allow a few big wigs to get the best views.

But this time we got shuffled into a meeting room for the function. I soon realised why when a Dalmatian dog was sitting up on the couch, the room helped contain the doggy.

I am not an animal person. Some people flocked to the dog, patted and cuddled, I headed to the red wine, sat down and looked at the cheese platter. I sat beside a beauty blogger. She never once glanced at that cheese.

No one else glanced at the cheese either. I was left to try and eat as much as I could by myself. I did well. I ate cheese, had a wine and I got busy on twitter.

But I was not there to hear about cheese and wine and dogs.

I was there to listen to the information about beauty products. I like to hear such things, even though I rarely put them into practise. Sometimes I even lie to the people there, like when they asked me what type of cleanser and toner I use, and which serum (what exactly is a serum?)  I also lie to the hair dresser when she asks me if I have been using a toner treatment - of course, love, always.

The highlight of the night was the dark spot corrector. It is magic, it is cheap, with regular and constant use it will reduce the dark spots on your skin.

Magnetoboldtoo tweeted me asking if it would remove dark spots from the soul. I was too shy to ask this straight out so instead I asked the Garnier people if this stuff worked all over the body, the answer was yes, but no, DO NOT DRINK IT, it is poison for the soul or any other internal parts. There may have then been a conversation about dark spot corrector and anal bleaching on twitter. I do not have the answers for you, but I do not suggest you try that at home.

I have spent the last few weeks using the dark spot corrector on my hands. It smells good. It feels good. It has certainly reduced the colour of the dark freckle spots on my hand.

It is hard to see in the photos above, really you just see how pale and ugly my hands are, but there is a difference in real life, more so with the faint spots on the left of my hand.

The trouble is you really have to keep using it. You can't just use it a few times see the difference and then stop.

I have biscuit crumbs on my desk, opps.

So I asked Garnier if I could have a giveaway for dark spot corrector, but to be able to giveaway

A FULL YEARS SUPPLY!

I don't want you using it, loving it and having to buy more.

To win just tell me a story about anything at all to do with a dark spot. I will pick a winner on Sunday night.

FINE PRINT:

1) One comment per person

2) Sharing is caring, please share with your friends on facebook and twitter and at mother's group and church.

3) LAST COMMENTS at 9pm Sunday 7 October 2012

4) No email, no win, if I can't find you in 72 hours I shall pick a new winner

5) Australian residents only.

Good Luck!
EDIT: Monday 8 October

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Amy who I shall email asap!


Thank you all for entering.

Porky, but not Pregnant.

There are moments in life when only a three year old can ease the tensions in a situation.

On Saturday we attempted to buy the tapware for the bathroom renovation. Mr H had allocated a budget for the taps and was hoping to stay within a few dollars of this tight budget.

We started arguing discussing the tap issue and the salesman raised his eyebrows and silently crept away.

I couldn't understand why Mr H wouldn't be buying a mixer tap. He was stuck with wanting two old style taps for the shower.

As we argued talked between clenched teeth, Immy and Popps were rolling eyes about how bored they were and then Immy walked over, patted me on the tummy and said "Wow, Mummy is having a baby, look Mummy, you are having a BABY!"

Mr H simply buckled over from trying not to laugh out loud. I do believe I saw tears in his eyes from laughing so much.

Conversation over. Mr H could no longer look me in the eye without hysterical laughter.

We soon left Bunnings minus any taps or toilets and headed to the next bathroom wares distributors on the list. Mr H silently choking on his own laughter still. Two hours later and we had everything we needed.

The taps were only $795 over Mr H's budget, so, um, guess who's laughing now...yes that would be me (otherwise known as porky but not pregnant, belly).

If you need me anytime soon I will be either consoling myself with a packet of tim tams or attempting to run around the block to lose this belly.


(There is no image to display on this post, it would need to be either taps or tummys, so, nothing to look at here, move along.)
                 

Wordless Wednesday

Guess where we went?

The Modern Classroom: Ipads and schools

The modern classroom

A few months ago I wrote about schools using iPads in the classroom and what I did to secure an iPad for Popps to use in her prep classroom.

I asked the teacher to let me know how it was going and to provide some feedback on how it was that the ipads were used in the school environment.

The teacher sent me an email with some comments;

... the ipad has been a very useful and exciting addition to the classroom, it has provided a new reflective, planning and organisation tool for me as the class teacher and also introduced some exciting and engaging activities for students.

Students ‘at risk’ and ‘above the expected level’, have had an interactive platform to participate in Literacy and Numeracy programs that meet their specific learning needs.

I recently downloaded a particularly useful assessment and portfolio record keeping app. This app assists with tracking and future development of programs for all students and particularly those with ‘specific needs’.

Our school has now purchased 16 iPads for exclusive use in the prep classes. My classroom has 18 children and 5 iPads available most sessions, a very good ratio.

IPads have become a part of the weekly agenda in our levelled team meetings. We share, discuss and evaluate apps.

The ICT team is also currently investigating the viability of a 1:1 iPad program in the senior area of the school. A tool that can link iPads with classroom interactive whiteboards is also being investigated which will extend the impact of this form of technology.

 

EA Mobile filled the ipad with a number of games which the school now has in their account. 

I know for sure that SPY Mouse is a big hit as Popps is keen to practice when she gets home (and it is also free so go grab it). 

The teachers indicated the following EA Mobile games were used for specific skills and to learn how to work your way around the features of an iPad.

Strategy/hand eye coordination

-Bejeweled
-Flight Control
-Flight Control Rocket
-Coconut Dodge
-SPY Mouse
Strategy
-Max and Magic Maker
Hand eye coordination
-Draw Jump
General Knowledge
-Trivial Pursuit Master Edn.English
-Boggle
-Pictureka!
-Scrabble
Maths
-Tetris
-Yahtzee Adventures
Fun
-EA sports FIFA 10
-Madden 12 by EA sports
-NBA Jam  by EA Sports
-Tiger Woods PGA tour 12



The more we start learning how to really use the features of an iPad, the more I see how wonderful a tool they are for children and adults of all ages and abilities. As I discussed with some other people recently, our young children will not work at 'work stations' with a massive big computer box in front of them in twenty years. They will be mobile, they will use apps, they will work with technology that is not even thought about yet. The jobs they have may not have been invented either.



Exciting times I say. Very exciting.





Disclaimer: I was not paid to write either of my posts regarding EA Mobile. I discussed an arrangement with EA Mobile and they agreed to fund my child's primary school with an ipad to allow the teachers to trial the technology in the classroom. The school gets to keep the iPad and I get to tell you what the school thought of using ipads and if the games were of use to the class.

Ideas for September School Holidays.

Victorian September School Holidays are pretty much here.

Don't stress, there is lots to do and here is a picture list for you, some of the images will take you to links about the places.

Go for a bush walk and look down carefully, there are lots of wild flowers in the Australian bush.

Royal Melbourne Show starts on 22 September.
Country Shows will start soon after.

Find a national park, a camp site, a beach setting and have a snag in bread.

If Footy is something your kids like, get involved in finals footy.

What else are you getting up to for the school holidays?

A firey plumber

Step 1 in removing 1981 from the house.

I was going to tell you all about the visit from the Pete the Plumber*, how he decided that because the pipes in our house go down and through the floor and our house is built low to the ground it was a really shit job for him to get under there and change the pipes around. Pete suggested he take a quick look at what we could do to minimise the cost of the renovations, knowing that we are of the home brand label budget variety of renovators and not wanting to have to play with moving walls.

Once the water was turned off it was just a swift bang of a hammer and the entire vanity was out, a few saws and cuts here and there and the pipes were gone too. The old copper pipes in the wall were stuffed and needed a bit of cosmetic surgery to get them prepared for the new look - not plastic surgery though, wrong type of pipe.  Pete got out his fire gun thingo tool that welds those pipe widgets into place.

I was being all housewifey and grating carrots in the kitchen and could hear Pete jumping around and swearing and huffing and puffing. I yelled out "You ok back there?" Didn't hear him of course as the fire alarm then went off.

Mr H ran down to help out.

Remember the water is turned off?

The fire thingo on copper pipe gizmo set off a little spark which hit the insulation bats in the wall and away went the flame. Pete put it out with his hands and jumper. PHEW. Imagine how fast the whole house would have gone up in flames with the insulation within the walls on fire. Pete had to cool his hands off in the back of the busted toilet where there was some fresh water sitting awaiting the next flush. Noice.

Anyway, I haven't got time to tell you all about that as this morning was another morning of busy bathroom stuff. The cabinet maker kept asking what kind of finish I wanted on the cupboards, the bench tops, handles, handle shape... which means I have work to do.








*Pete the Plumber is not his real name and he is a plumber so I can't show you his face.

Sharing too much information on blogs. Or Not.

When you blog the whole idea is that you are writing an online diary. You are sharing publicly the thoughts in your head, the activities in your life and ups and downs of how you are. This is what makes reading blogs really fun. Reading of lives so different or at times so similar to your own makes for great reading.

But sometimes the stories are not yours to be told. Sometimes it affects you greatly but it still isn't your tale to tell.

I find this happens a lot for this blog.

I might be flat out, there could be a whole stack of things that are happening, but they might be something Mr H is dealing with and he requested from the start that I didn't share these issues. It might be something  discussed with a friend who doesn't expect to read about the conversation a few days later on this blog.

There are times when you might be upset by the actions of other people, annoyed at something happening in the school yard. Lots of times I do write about these things but then other times it just doesn't work and just isn't right. The stories are not mine to tell.

There is also the other side of social media which makes it a fast and efficient way of sharing news. Then again, others hate hearing that a friend is getting married, having a baby or has a new job by a facebook update and not in person.

I am sure this must be an issue for other bloggers or even people who write.

If you are a blogger how do you go with sharing news that isn't really for sharing?