Racing women

I really shouldn't read it, but on work days I tuck into the MX newspaper on my way home on the train.

That paper was once described to me as like eating McDonalds, you know you shouldn't do it, but you think, just a little will be ok, then afterwards you regret doing it.

So I was reading (fuming) away about the Gold Coast Races, where they were planning a race with stacks of women  in bikinis in the stalls and then running down the race track. I was wondering if the problem was mine, should I just be open to having some more fun (in bikinis), should I let those that want to take part just get on with it and forget the women's lib argument?

Who cares? Doesn't matter.

RACING Queensland has stopped a controversial bikini girl race from taking place at the Gold Coast Turf Club.

Aussie Wordless Wednesday

Loving the colours in this image. Little Aussie farm boy feeding his pony.

Join up, make a comment and let the world see your style.

Mac Attack - not the burger kind.

A few posts back here I was wondering what to do with myself in the Apple Sphere.

And now the iPad is all mine.

Excuse me for a few days while I play with my new toy.

Will try to refrain from ending up like this.

For the desperate, the image is found here

Friday's Find

This weeks Friday's Find is Katie Crackernuts.

She lives over here. She's a little bit crackers. She is hanging out in musty old op shops and finding all the treasures you wish you had got first.


Katiecrackernuts, according to her own blog is writing about

 "The News Limited 1degree op shop challenge is to wear second-hand and op shop purchased clothing and accessories to save money, cut textile waste and reduce the consumption of carbon-emitting fashion product. Get involved, wear op shop, share your favourite op shop finds, or near misses, and tell us where all the best treasures are. 

I have been enjoying the posts here for only a matter of weeks but eagerly click through when my google reader pings up a new post from over there.

It has inspired me to drop into the local oppy a couple of times and see what wares there are. The best one just has a great toy corner, we don't buy anything but Popps and Immy test all the stuff, pop it back on the shelf and the fun is had - now that is what I call bargain shopping.

Katiecrackernuts though, she is a walking example of all the treasure that can be yours by simply changing your shopping patterns for 12 months. Click here on all her posts about Op shop Gold and you are in for a real treat of the old, the new, the borrowed and downright daggy (sorry, the 80's woolly jumper is DAGGY!).

Enjoy!

Worry Wart tips

My name is ClaireyH, and I am a worry wart.

Have been since Popps was born. Have even called nurse on call after snipping her finger with the finger nail clippers one night.

So when it comes to rashes, coughs, rattles, germs, viruses and bugs I am the first lining up at the doctor. I have paid a fortune in doctors bills at 9pm at night, just to be sure.

However I am getting better. Immy has shown me a rash of some sort on her tummy today. I can't tell what it is, there are no other symptoms (crying, temperature etc) it kind of looks like severe carpet burn in the middle with rash on the outside. But I have learnt this tip from one of the kindly doctors I have possibly annoyed. Draw circles around the rash, that way you can tell if it is getting better (usually) or worse ( justifies a doctors visit).

Immy has been very excited to be drawn on, possibly wants me to draw all over her, so that could be the negative aspect of such a tip.

Share your worry wart reduction tips, if you have any...

Aussie Wordless Wednesday

Officially the first Aussie WW as last week was just a trial.

I am hosting an Aussie wordless wednesday - but everyone is welcome to join.

While I love great photos, a snapper of quality I am not. So I hope you enjoy the goods from the people that I pinch stuff from (I do ask, usually!)

This week is from a photographer I met at a market, I like this image because it looks like you only get one chance to get it right.

Here is more of Kelly Jordan Photography


Now, to join in the fun, make a comment and add your link to Mr Linky. Remember we only want your current post, not the whole blog, then click around and view what the world has to offer this week.

Wordz and speling

Do you have a certain word or words that you can just never spell correctly or words that other people use which annoy you.

At school I remember having trouble with ‘because’ until the grade 2 teacher shared the little ditty “ Big elephants can attack ugly snakes eggs” and eight was always “every indian girl has toys”. Don’t forget the song MARVELLOUS – was it the 80’s when cricket peoples had the one hit wonder song on the radio? Here it is here for a little trip down bad music lane.

So, I mastered those tricky ones, but the word guarantee remains a word that I can never spell (I just used the spell checker now) I need a new ditty, one that is easy to remember and ensures I never spell it wrong again.

I notice too many people now spell definitely  - definately, the a seems to have crept in, once it creeps in it hardly ever leaves, its just the evolution of words.

But us marketing drones only have ourselves to blame for the completely unnecessary use of the word – pro-active (I cringe as I write this horrid little phrase).  The word active will usually do quite fine, you don’t need to always be pro-active, you just need to do your job.

A little history of the word proactive - The use of the word proactive, sometimes also written pro-active was limited to the domain of experimental psychology in the 1930s. Oxford English Dictionary (OED) credits Paul Whiteley and Gerald Blankfort, citing their 1933 paper discussing proactive inhibition as the "impairment or retardation of learning or of the remembering of what is learned by effects that remain active from conditions prior to the learning". The 1946 book Man's Search for Meaning brought the word to the wider public domain. The author, Austrian existential neuropsychiatrist Dr. Viktor Emil Frankl, used the word proactive to describe a person who took responsibility for his or her life, rather than looking for causes in outside circumstances or other people. Frankl stressed the importance of courage, perseverance, individual responsibility and awareness of the existence of choices, regardless of the situation or context. 

So if you are not a psychologist, please stop using the word, it is annoying, over used and unnecessary.

Anyhoo peeps (one day to replace the word people in full) what words get up your nose? Can you help me stop writing guarntee? Will you tell all those pro-active talkers at the office to find a different word to use?

What lies behind the throne?

My folks came to town for a visit on the weekend so I decided to take Mum for a trip to Williamstown craft market, let the girls play at the park and kill some time outside. The guys had some fence fixing to do and needed the little babblers to be out of the way.

The market was small but had a few treasures to look at, play with and purchase. But then, strolling along the shopping strip we spotted an amazing dress and just had to pop in to see how much it was. It was a bargain, but a ball dress I do not need, what I did need was a new hand bag. You would think I would have learnt my lesson regarding white leather here, but that is not to be.

Behold my new lovely white leather handbag.

I am loving it so much I don't actually want to use it yet, but shall fill for its first outing at work tomorrow.

These blossoms I couldn't resist picking from the branches overhanging our fence, hope the neighbours don't mind me nicking off with half the tree over the last few days.

Then, on our return from Willie, the boys seem to have decided to play home handy man for the day and ended up also installing a new throne into the BabbleHouse. I had previously requested this be done by a professional only, after a few other plumbing incidents that are best forgotten. But, they snuck it in while I was out and I am pleased to say that they did a marvellous job. I was also quite excited to find the original wall paper circa 1964 was behind the old loo. Check it out, I wish it was still there, would be much more interesting than the current totally white walls, ceiling and sparking white throne.

Have you found any old designer wall paper or lino in your place? Are you glad it's gone, or would you like it to stay?

And, how many weeks do you think I can go without having to leather clean that bag!