The morning from hell-when you feel like it all goes to $h*T

I normally don't post a lot of stuff like this but here goes!

Do you ever have a morning or day where you think "why the heck do I bother?" I had one of those mornings today and I am still feeling it now. I just want to go find a rock and crawl under it!
On top of Aston being sick for the whole weekend and a trip to the doctors yesterday because he had temps of almost 40degrees (with paracetamol)  hubby is now sick too.  As if this wasn't enough then the morning had to not run right and I lost it. It was a struggle to get the kids ready for school and if I have to explain what needs to be done one more time I am going to.... explode! I am trying, I really am! but some days I feel like the most incompetent mother in the world. I know I can do better as a Mum and it was probably just a crappy morning for the kids too but I am not feeling great right now.  The bickering (as kids do) the asking them a million times to brush their teeth and get dressed and then wet pants just... well you get the idea!  It all just came undone this morning and I don't know what to do? I am usually a pretty positive person so it is strange writing this here.

We have been having issues with our daughter and it is starting to take its toll on me. I don't really say too much about it as I am worried what people are going to think? Stupid I know, but still I am worried what you are going to think of me right now?  Since starting school she has been going through this cycle where she wets her pants. Apparently this is quite common (so her school has told me but it doesn't make it any easier!) She has gone through stages like this before but they are usually over by now. I worry that I sent her to school too early and that I have made the wrong decision although academically she is fine her teach told us.  At first she didn't say anything and would walk around in wet pants at school. When I found out I asked her why she is doing this and she said she didn't want to loose her friends at school. I then suggested she go to the toilet before she goes off and plays but again she is too worried her friends will go off without her. I also suggested asking her friends did they need to go to the toilet too as who knows maybe they are holding on too?
Then yesterday I had to go to the school twice as she wet her pants and take her clean undies in. I haven't put undies in her bag. I didn't want to seem like I was saying it was okay and there is a clean pair in your bag when it happens, but at the same time it is a pain to constantly take them into her at the school!
The office lady said she never seem worried at all so it isn't an inconvenience to her. We both suggested she ask her friends to go to the toilet with her or make a place to meet with them when she does go.  I don't want her to be upset about it either but how am I suppose to get her to stop doing it? We have spoken to her teacher but maybe I have to do this again?

So you can see I am desperate and I don't know what to do? I actually feel like bawling my eyes out as it is getting on top of me so much. It probably sounds stupid but when it happens constantly it gets you down. She is a smart kid so I don't understand why? What would you do?  Oh and I probably should let you know she doesn't wet her pants at night but does at home sometimes during the day. It is like she becomes so busy she won't go to the toilet as she doesn't want to miss a second. I am not perfect, I have got cross with her which I know is the wrong thing to do but I am only human. I know I have to do something about this but I don't know what?  Looks like my day is going to be spent on Google trying to figure out what to do? I think today is going to be a bad day too.

Confidence + Kids + Will.i.Am

As parents we always want to instil and grow confidence in our kids hopefully making them well adjusted happy beings I however think we need to start with ourselves first! Being confident is something that we all should learn a little about so then we can project and teach by doing and not just saying. There is an old saying 'do as I say and not as I do' well  we all know kids will always pick up when you don't feel great about yourself and therefore learn through your actions.

I have had my own ups and downs with confidence and I know that you can't be confidant 100% of the time, but we got to aim for close to that! right? I want my kids to have great confidence in themselves so they can make decisions that are right for them. I want them to be confident that my husband and I will always be there for them no matter what so they know they can always turn to us. Having confidence in yourself can also be different to having confidence in others too.

Writing this post made me think about the way I instil and grown confidence in my children and I know I can do better job. I also know that if I work on building confidence in myself this can only be a positive for both me and my kids so it is well worth doing.  This post also made me realise that I have taught my kids about confidence in different ways.  I have done this differently in some aspects between my boys and my girl. I am not sure if that is right or wrong (I am no expert?)  but I am just having this realisation now....funny what the power of a blog posts can do...even to the writer.

With my boys I tell them I love them and that they are smart, give them the ownership of doing certain things to build their confidence. I think teaching them this can start from a very young age and right now Aston is 11months old and is already showing a great deal of confidence.  With my daughter I have done the same things although I things have been a little different. I'm not sure if it is because she is a girl or because she was born almost 13weeks premature at 27+5 weeks gestation? I however do know things have been a bit different with her.  I tell her that she is beautiful, smart and amazing. I want to teach her and my boys that with confidence you on your way to achieving anything you want!

I was inspired to write this post as I found this clip by Will.i.am's song "What I Am"
I also asked some facebook friends if they thought they were confident and those that replied said NO! and that they faked it alot....
So, do you think you are confident? Are you children? How do you think we can become more confident so we can teach our kids?

Will.i.am's Song "What I Am"

A Modern Man & Family

I am one of those lucky ladies you hear about who has a Modern Man  in her life, who actually helps around the house. It is nothing out of the ordinary for him to clean the house, cook and watch the kids and I am still surprised when others find this a big deal?  Lets be honest, we saw women in our past do EVERYTHING around the home and well that just didn't gel with me! Don't get me wrong, the men in my life have always looked after their families and done what they have had to do to keep their home running. The thing is most of the time they needed to be 'ASKED' to go that extra mile and do the house cleaning and other general domestic duties to help out their wife or partner if she needed a little help.  Men in past generations went out in the world and worked but when it came to the home they did the outside stuff and the ladies did the inside stuff. There is nothing wrong with this and if it works for you then great! In my world though it doesn't, we share these jobs both inside and out because that's what works for us. It is nothing for hubby to clean and its nothing for me to mow the lawn so it is a pretty fair agreement I think. 


Hubby cooks far better then I do and for 10 years work in the hospitality industry (until we all got sick of the hours and bad pay!) so now he works a Monday to Friday job so we actually know what he looks like and he gets to play with his kids. During the week I try to keep the house as clean as possible (okay read here I try to speed clean so I can get back to blogging!) I think I do an OK job but sometimes get lazy, (being a domestic goddess is hard work!) then have a bout of OCD and go crazy and purge all of our items not being used and clean EVERYTHING! The general cleanliness of the house is pretty good but every so often I go crazy and clean skirting boards, light fittings etc... I am a much better cook now as he has taught me so much about food and how to cook. However , I cook because I have to but he cooks because he loves too. He can make a delicious meal out of what I would call 'nothing' and any of our friends would tell you that he is an amazing cook. Funnily enough we very rarely have a dinner invitation turned down at our place. 


Through out our whole relationship (wow 14 years together this Nov!!) he has always done his fare share around the house and sometimes even more! He is a hard working man and I have had time both in the home and outside working too so we just try to find what works for us during these times. I am really grateful for this as I know women who still do a large chunk of the home duties even after working outside the house too. I still remember the first time my parents meet him and it still makes me laugh. I went off to work in the morning and when I returned home my Mum asked me if I had cleaned up before I left for work so early? I told her no that 'he' (not my hubby then but I better actually ask him what he wants me to call him on my blog?) would have done it and she was shocked! I think women of past generations think we might have it a bit to easy compared to them and we probably do in some respects. For me this is exactly why women are encouraging this and men are stepping up.  We want our men around to father their children and to be our husbands too. We don't want them to be disconnected from the family unit and we are willing to swap roles and help each other out to make that happen. Roles have changed these days and I for one am happy for this!  Gone are the days when a man never changed his child's nappies or cooked a meal!


For the last part of 2009 and the best part of 2010 I did next to NO house work (yes you read that right) because I had a high risk pregnancy with Aston and then a c-section. Hubby did everything! He worked, he cooked, he cleaned and he even had the kids spying on me when he wasn't around so I didn't do any heavy house work. Mason caught me once trying to hang out clothes on the line and let it slip that Dad had told him to 'tell me off' if he seen me doing something that I shouldn't do. But it doesn't stop at my husband though as the kids help out too. Kids need good role models in life and having a good one when it comes to cleaning is just another part of the good role model gig. I see nothing wrong with expecting my children to know how to make their own beds (okay, I haven't made Aston do this yet as he is only 11months - but he does love to help me vacuum) I know lots of people who don't have their children make the bed and I can't think why? Yes I know you make it better then them but how are they ever suppose to learn?  Sometimes when the kids have gone to school or are outside playing I sneak into their rooms and straighten their bed up, but at least I got them to give it a go in the first place. Giving your children some responsibility builds confidence and I want my kids to be confident and able to do things for themselves! Teamwork is a big word in our house and we try to instil this by giving the kids jobs which we all have to do. They are only small simple jobs like making their beds, cleaning their rooms, drying up(stupid dishwasher doesn't work properly!) packing their school bags etc  but I hope these small things will help my kids. 


I am using my own set of parenting skills and also tips found at Planning With Kids aka @planningqueen on twitter or better know as the very lovely Nicole Avery. Nicole is a Mum of 5 who has a very helpful husband and who has put her planning to good use to help other families. Nicole recently launched a book just about this and I am also using her book that I purchased at the book launch in Melbourne a little while back. I am learning that spread sheets really do rock! Thanks Nicole.




I was inspired to write this post after hearing girlfriends say they needed more help from their partners around the house and after yet another weekend of cleaning by our family. I also have little things swirling around inside my head and they start out as smallish post ideas but then as you can see it morphs into something bigger!

I joked that we should give Mason (10) the VIVA shower fast wipes to clean the bathrooms (2) that we were given by Kidspot Mum say (i think they need to add a Dad say too!) but instead hubby did it. He said they worked a treat and we should buy them again.  I think Mason should give it a go next time... just like in the ad on TV where they send in the son to clean the shower. I used the the mirror with the VIVA Glass & Mirror Wipes and thought it came up fantastic with no smears. The smears really drive me insane!  I really like how VIVA provide 2 wipes to clean and shine and the fact they are reusable for sustainable  living for the environment. One of my pet peeves is cleaning the shower screen and the mirrors because they just never seem to come up clean enough...until now. You think you have done a great job and then walk by later to see a smear or a water mark and it drives me insane!  These will work a treat in the kids bathroom that constantly gets splashes of water,soap,toothpaste...and what is that?! ewww.

So do you have a modern man and family? Do your kids have jobs around the house?  


disclosure: I was given one trial pack of VIVA glass and mirror wipes, VIVA Shower Fast Wipes and VIVA stainless steel wipes by Kidspot mum say to trial(again I think they need a Dad say or even a family say too!) 

When online What do you Prefer?

I spend alot of time online reading a variety of blogs and articles from various sites, I started to wonder what do people really like about the way they are displayed? Some articles and blogs show the full article and others had a read more button encouraging you to read a small part of the article and then click the button to read more. This got me thinking how many people actually click on the read more button and how many just skim past it and read the next snippet? I don't mind either way as I will click if the article interests me and in some cases it makes the blogs a bit cleaner and you can see more quick shots of what is on the blog if the full article is not displayed. I however did think about the huge number of read more buttons that possibly didn't get clicked on so I thought I would ask your opinion on this. 

So, I am going to run a little poll myself (at the top left hand side of my blog)  with the question being 'When online what do you prefer?'
You just click on the button that you agree with most and it tallies it up for me. You don't have to sign up to anything and sorry you don't win anything for this, I am just curious.  It will be interesting to see what people like and what the results are.  If you would like to give me more information please leave me a comment below as I always love hearing from you guys. 


Thanks so much for reading my blog and taking the time to participate in the poll. 

My First Vegemite Kid

I  recently let Aston try My First Vegemite and as you can see by these pictures he loved it!

My Happy Little Vegemite 

Just The Way You Are

I always tell Airlie that she is beautiful just the way she is and when this song came out she said "Hey Mum this song is about me!" 
Tonight I was on You-Tube and found the song and had to share it with you. 
I couldn't remember the name of the song but I described it to Mason as  'that song about Airlie' and he knew just which one I was talking about. He also couldn't think of the name but started to sing it and we found it!  
Airlie was at the other end of the house but heard the music and she ran to me and said "Mum my song is on!" This made me smile and we sat and sang the song together.  I just hope she continues to believe this as she grows up. 

Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are 

How a dentist turned me into a pirate

So i had a dentist appointment today and it didn't go so well. I'm currently waiting in Tge kids play area at the dentist for my husband to finish work then be dropped off across the other side of the city. He has to come pick me up as the right side of my face is/was paralyzed! This happened when the local they used also affected nerves in my face and eye.  I have the 3 kids with me at the dentist and now im wearing an eye patch(argh meharty!) as my eye was freaking out and would not do what I was telling it too...so I can't  drive home either. All I could think of was am i having a stroke? I've never had one before but that's all that came into my head so I quickly told my dentist!!  Its the first time it's happened and I'm feeling better already but they didnt want to risk anything so we cant finish the appointment. A pain not to be able to finish off my appointment but oh well not to worry.

The Good news is I still managed to type all that out on my iPhone so I think I'm okay!

Does this mean I'm a 'real' blogger now since I've blogged about something as crazy as this? LOL c'mon you got to find the brighter side when stuff like this happens.

Also like to note that the dentist did nothing wrong, things like this just happen.

I hope you recognize me next time you see me without my patch? Airlie is working on making me a pirate hat as we speak too haha. At least it keeps her busy whole we wait.
Bye for now xx
Sent from my iPhone

Don't You Dare Say No to OPRAH! Jimmy Kimmel Live - Cousin Sal's Oprah Booth

Haha this is funny!
There is so much about OPRAH at the moment due to her finishing up her show and presuing her 'OWN' network. You have to give the lady credit because that show has been on air since 1986! She has also help launch a lot of brands and personalities with her backing so I am sure there are lots of people grateful to her and her success.  


I cam across this clip from Jimmy Kimmel LiveI and is worth a look and the laughs it receives. 
Don't make out you wouldn't do this to get on TV! LOL

Toddlers & Tiaras with Tom Hanks & Ron Howard

There is a lot in the media at the moment about beauty pageants as there is one set to run here in Melbourne Australia in July 2011. I am just going to post this video as it is funny...This video is just a joke and made by Sophie and Tom Hanks and was found on you-tube via Jimmy Kimmel Live . There are some funny moments in this clip and it is all just a bit of fun. See here how Tom Hanks verses Ron Howard as Pageant Dads in this beauty pageant

Tunes To Make You Move!

The Black Eyed Peas are Rockin It! I love these guys so much already but I have to say this video has me loving them even more. I had heard they did a great performance at the Billboard Music Awards 2011 and I came across this today.

A Different Kind of Faith

With my son's 1st Birthday fast approaching it has been making me reflect on just how thankful I am.  
I feel like it was just yesterday that I was thanking my lucky stars that I was able to get pregnant again and carry a baby past 27weeks gestation. I loved being pregnant and celebrated as much as possible as I knew what I had missed last time around, I just didn't want to take a moment of it for granted.


I really enjoyed my last pregnancy and yes it is the truth! I know loads of you are going to think is this girl insane? Well that is debatable in some circles on some subjects but when it comes to pregnancy I don't think that is one of them. I enjoyed everything about it. I didn't wan to complain about any of it as I just felt so

Happy (almost) Birthday

Happy 11months Baby Bunny! It is only 4weeks till we celebrate Aston's 1st Birthday! We are planning a huge birthday and I have loads to do.


I just wanted to mark this day and say how happy I am that I was able to have Aston after all my experiences with pre eclampsia (PE) and  HELLLP Syndrome 
(H (haemolysis - red blood cell damage); EL (elevated liver enzymes - indicating liver damage); and LP (low platelets in the blood leading to a bleeding tendency) when pregnant with Airlie Fae.  

Girl Power - Beyonce Style - Beyoncé - Run The World (Girls)

Another brilliant video by Beyonce! It is a catchy song and I am sure we will be hearing much more of it. What an amazing dancer she is and what about some of those outfits! Beyonce is such a style and fashion icon to many women. No matter what she sings she always does it with such grace and style.
Enjoy! 

You Are Never Too Young

Aston wearing his WHITE SHIRT supporting  White Shirt Day

I don't think any ages is too young to start supporting worthy cause and I believe it builds good character to teach our kids this. From a very young age I remember my parents supporting many charities...even when we couldn't always afford it we always gave. I learnt that supporting is good for those you are giving to and good for your soul too. It doesn't matter how big or small the donation is cause it matters that you gave at all.

Aston hanging out with his pals

That is why I teach my kids to support, be it through buying a piece of merchandise, raffle ticket or giving a donation of money. We are by no means rich and I sometimes do give when I probably shouldn't (I get that from my Dad) But you know what? sharing is caring and support is what everyone needs at some stage of their lives. Sadly there are many reasons that bring us to needing support. Recently I know we have been asked to support a lot and it can become hard to continue to give all the time. When I feel like this I just say to myself that these people need our help and if I really want to support just give what you can.

Aston and I wearing our WHITE SHIRTS

Did you know that you can buy your own WHITE SHIRT online for both Men and Women? Also this year there is a fabulous range of SILVER items to purchase too.

Aston hanging out with his friends for White Shirt Day

Please Wear a White Shirt today!

Why? because everyone needs to know what this day represents. Watch this clip it only takes 15seconds of your life.

Please read this post by Nikki @ Styling You and you will want to wear a white shirt every day!

Today is the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) White Shirt Day.

If you don't already, go and get a white shirt on and aim to tell 5 people why you are wearing it today... I bet you can do better then 5 though!

Watch the behind the scenes and see the human side of how the Community Service Announcement was made.

Thank you Nikki for being brave enough to share your story. It made me cry and it made me realise that we all have to be aware. Much love to those families affected by this horrible disease, RIP those already lost and WHITE SHIRT POWER to those of us who may be affected in the future.

xx

The Fame Game - OGB Loves You

I was recently reading one of my fave magazines Shop 4 Kids and was excited when I came across this page! One gorgeous Mumma and 2 extremely gorgeous little people, with loads of fab products that they love.
Grab your own copy and read about

Hayley Blease from Little Pinwheel http://www.littlepinwheel.com.au is an amazing woman who is real, caring, strong, funky and super passionate about her kiddies.

Oh Gorgeous Baby LOVES YOU Little Pinwheel and we think YOU ROCK
You have the best labels in town and all the coolest products for our kids. Keep up the awesome work xx

This Makes Me Laugh And Worry!

Aston is currently 10months old and I am a bit scared of what he is going to be like as a toddler. He already seems to be doing way too many things that freak me out. Yesterday this was what he did as I sat at the computer desk. He was playing on the floor and I heard him crawling towards the desk, he usually just tries to reach up and take anything off the side now that he can.

The next thing I knew I turned towards him and the little face you see above was looking at me.

He looks very proud of himself doesn't he?

In the past few months he has just started doing so many things, it is hard to keep up sometimes. I just love hanging out with him and find he is pretty cool kid that takes it as it comes (most of the time) As both the big kids are at school during the day Aston and I get to hang out quite a bit one on one and I really love it. I love that he is doing all these new things but I don't want him to grow up too quickly!

What have your babies done that has made you smile or even laugh, but then made you worry about what you are in for?

Pay Attention - This is one of my biggest fears

I found this movie on You-Tube a while ago and was reminded by it after hearing yesterday that our road toll here in Australia is already way too high! Our road toll is currently at 116 people as of Midnight 16th May which is up 8% on last years average. After a horrible weekend on the roads here in Melbourne and Victoria we are now 'beating' last years stats. Now I know we Aussies are competitive but this is one competition we don't want to win!

We all take risks behind the wheel and I am no different. I admit that I probably take more risks when my kids aren't in the car but really who am I kidding? I don't want to leave my kids without a Mum and is it really worth killing ourselves over just to arrive a few moments earlier? I know we all could drive safer and be more considerate of our fellow road users, be them fellow car drives, pedestrians, push bike riders, motor bike riders and yes trucks drivers too.

My Dad has driven large trucks all his life and I do think he is one of the best drivers around. I'm not just saying that because he is my Dad, I'm saying it because I honestly think he drives with care and compassion on the roads. He has driven long hall trips from one side to the other when I was just a little girl and these days he drives a pretty good distance still, just not quite as far.

I remember him telling us stories about horrible crashes he has seen, how he helped people on the road when he came to a crash and how Mum told us how he would constantly come home with no blankets because he had given them to people. As kids we were given the 'talk' not to get into cars with stupid drives and if you ever found yourself in a car with one to tell them to stop and get out! I actually did that once, a guy I was seeing as a teenager drove like an idiot so I told him to let me out and I walked home. My Mum told him he must have been driving like a ... ahem because if her daughter thought he was driving like that then you probably were! We very rarely went away on holidays during the peek periods as there were too many crazy drivers on the road and it was just safer to stay at home.

So after being reminded to not take stupid risks via this video and the news reports recently I Promise to become an even safer driver. Will you?

source for road toll stats

The Power of Words

Even though this is a video made by content specialists to promote their brand I really like it.

I love how thinking outside the box and delivering words in a different way can change the world. If only just for a moment, people will stop and think on a different level and maybe think about what others might be going through and reach out.

What do you think

Have To Start Them Early!

Aston loves our Dyson vacuum cleaner just as much as I do these days!

At first he just loved follow us around while we were cleaning.As he has grown older he has become a little more confident and started to come closer and investigate.

These days he enjoys pulling the cord out and now he loves to push the button to retract it since his Daddy so wisely showed him how! I was a little concerned because I didn't want him to hit himself in the face or pull out the cord too far and have it become dangerous. I always keep an eye on him and so far he can only pull it out a little, so there isn't any danger of either thing happening.

He spends ages just sitting playing with the Dyson. I love watching the concentration on his face as he moves between the sequence of pulling the cord out and pushing the button.

I was thinking I might teach him to use it since he loves it so much as you have to start them early!

Have your children loved playing with out of the ordinary 'toys'? Share some of your stories here.

Last Weeks Funnies

Did you see the planking funnies on TODAY last week. It started out with the sports reporter reading his segment while planking. Then a few other planks were viewed through out the show. But, by far the funniest plank was by none other then Kerri-Anne on her morning show as the TODAY finished and crossed to her. Got to give her points for giving it a go!

Sadly people take these things to extreme and there is a reported death in QLD over the weekend that may have been caused by a planking stunt gone wrong. The matter is still being investigated by QLD police.

What I'm Reading

What I'm reading since I can't blog!

Toys for Boys and Girls if they want!

This product comes from German company Bruder who make a variety of products that including industries like farming, construction, commercial vehicles, roadmix and even a mini series of the products too. 
Now any boy is going to love these but in this day and age girls can love them too...actually I am pretty sure 'in my day' (ahem yes thank you for the old jokes from my friends) I loved to play with what is deemed as 'boys toys' as I had 3 younger brothers.

The Bruder company was founded by Paul Bruder in 1926 and now has toys being sold all around the world to children big and small and of all ages (adults I mean by this) I actually think I know a few 'big people' who have models by Bruder that take centre stage in display cabinets. This one above actually looks similar to what my Dad owns in real life so I might have to buy him one of those.

PHILOSOPHY

The playing child is at the centre of every single product made by BRUDER.
Playing is not an end in itself, but lets children make experiences in the adult world which they can use for their own development.
In line with this principle, BRUDER products are developed as "model-sized toys." Model-sized to encourage children to imitate real life in the form of role plays; functional to help them understand the technical backgrounds by allowing them to "grasp by grabbing." Special attention is paid to the well-balanced interaction of easy-to-handle play functions and models that are true to life and offer the greatest possible level of stability. BRUDER's company slogan "just like the real thing" manifests itself, in particular, in the products of the Pro Series.
It is thanks to our high-quality products as well as our know-how that we rank among today's leading manufacturers of plastic toy vehicles in Europe. We constantly strive to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction that is rooted in our innovation, our expertise in plastic technology and our concern for the environment while using our resources in a responsible manner. Our utilisation of resources is based on the principle of sustainability. Our in-house recycling loop and our energy-saving production process combined with our customer service who can provide spare parts for the repairs of our toy vehicles make our products particularly durable.
Since we are a family-owned business, we are well aware of our environmental and social responsibilities. Fair play when dealing with our business partners, our employees and the children who play with our toys is a central concern of ours.

BRUDER Spielwaren GmbH + Co. KG
Dipl. Ing. (FH)  Paul Heinz Bruder

You can take a look online at their catalogue 
You can also find games, colouring pages and wallpapers Bruder Action World

PLAYSKOOL ALPHIE DATABOTS DECI-BOT & Play-Doh

Thanks to Hasbro & PlaySkool we were given this little robot figure which teaches kids lots about counting.  The Alphie Databot Deci-Bot has fingers that light up so kids can practice counting and can sing along counting with their own fingers.   It has an Explore Mode and Find It Mode so that your children can discover the joy of numbers in two different ways! 

It is suggest for children Ages 3 and up but as soon as Aston heard it singing he wanting to play with it. I don't think he is too young to learn and I play with him while he is playing with it and sing along with the counting songs. Aston particularly likes the part where if you press the middle button when you are suppose to be choosing a number down the side of the toy he pretends to laugh and says the child is tickling him. He laughs so then Aston laughs. So Cute!

Airlie (5) also plays with Alphie Databot Deci-Bot too and friends with children aged 2 and 4 have both played with it too so at least it appeals to a wide age group. 

Airlie as always wanted the Play-Doh breakfast set! She really enjoys sitting for hours playing making us things to eat and little creatures too.  This package contains a container to keep it all in(LOVE IT!) a paper place mat that the children can use to make their Play-Doh come alive while playing. The lid is very innovative and has some moulds built in which is an excellent idea because Airlie is forever going to our kitchen cupboards trying to find things to use, but with this it is all contained in the lid!  The moulds look like pieces of fruit and other foods that you eat at breakfast. It also has 4 sticks of Play-Doh and various items like a waffle iron, toaster,pan, plastic knife,a fork and even a spatula to do all the cooking with. 
You can check out more about Alphie Databot Deci-Bot here
You can check out more about Play-Doh here 

Meet Alphie

I was introduced to Alphie at the recent Bloggers Brunch I attended and boy is he cute and smart!


 


Alphie comes with 30 double-sided cards, providing more than 350 fun questions and challenges and a broad range of learning benefits. Plus there's additional booster packs available separately! For more information and learning benefits. 

Alphie is suggested for Age grade 3yrs +

Alphie helps your child

Kick-start literacy skills: letter-sound recognition, phonemic awareness, print awareness and letter shapes.

Support math skills: numeral and shape recognition, patterns, matching and sorting as well as spatial reasoning.

Stretch cognitive skills: cause and effect, compare and contrast, categorise and multi-step thinking.

Boost practical knowledge: introduce music, develop vocab, teach colour recognition and direction.

Alphie has appealing, friendly facial expressions and a built in carry handle. He's a take everywhere learning buddy who makes learning and discovery a whole lot of fun!

When speaking to the lady looking after Alphie I suggested maybe they could design cards for children around the age of 5 or 6 that included basic sight words. Then they could continue to grow with the product as they developed through preschool, kinder and prep.

You can find out more about Alphie here

Disney on Ice Special Offer on Ticket Prices

When I seen the Disney on Ice stand at the Bloggers Brunch I said "forget the kids I want to see them!" I have always dreamed about this show and I am so excited to tell you that I have a special offer to share with you. Read On!!

This non-stop fun has four of our favourite Disney stories at the Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy. You get to experience the high speed stunts of Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney/Pixar's CARS race across the ice. Then you can dive into The Little Mermaid's enchanting undersea kindom and experience the 'Circle of Life' with The Lion King. Then enter into the magical world of Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and her fairy friends as they make their world premier on ice! From wheels to waves, Pride Lands to pixi dust, your family's favourite Disney moments come to life with dazzling skating, special effects and beloved characters certain to create a lifetime of memories.

SPECIAL OFFER

Thanks to Disney on Ice, Oh Gorgeous Baby readers are entitled to a special discounted ticket price on selected performances, for a limited time:

TICKET PRICE: $35.50 (A Reserve tickets. Saving you up to $7 per ticket!)

OFFER VALID: Friday 6th May - Sunday 15 May 2011

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Newcastle Entertainment Centre (NSW)

Friday June 24th @ 11am & 7pm

Saturday June 25th @ 6pm

Brisbane Entertainment Centre (QLD)

Friday July 1st @ 1pm

Saturday July 2nd @ 6pm

Rod Laver Arena Melbourne(VIC)

Wednesday July 6th @ 2:30pm

Thursday July 7th @ 2:30pm

Friday July 8th @ 2:30pm

Saturday July 9th @ 6pm

Acer Arena Sydney (NSW)

Wednesday July 13th @ 2:30pm

Thursday July 14th @ 2:30pm

Friday July 15th @ 2:30pm

Saturday July 16th @ 6pm

Adelaide Entertainment Centre (SA)

Friday July 22nd @ 2:30pm

Saturday July 23rd @ 6pm

Note Disney on Ice will feature during the school holidays excpet when in Newcastle NSW so it would be a great holiday activity to pre-book while you get the discount.

HOW TO BOOK

Order online: Visit www.ticketek.com.au/disneyblog

Phone Ticketek : 132 849 and quote BLOGMELB11 when booking

You can check out some footage of Disney on Ice at their website that will make you want to go even more. The whole show looks amazing!!

I don't know about you but after doing this post I am even more keen to go along and experience the magic. If you go please let me know as I would love to hear what you thought of the show and what your experience was like!

Little Crew - The luxe guide to children's shopping

Have you heard of Little Crew? If you haven't you should grab this fantastic iPhone App and start taking full advantage of it!

I LOVE Little Crew and I have it on my own iPhone. I have done so since I got my new phone last year and it is a great app. I LOVE IT as they take all the guess work out of finding what is trending for children right now and for anyone who buys kids products knows there are millions out there. Every day Little Crew sifts through innovations in children's designer clothing, accessories toys and travel, updating you online or via your iPhone. As a busy Mum of 3 kids this is a huge help when I am trying to find them something or one of the many birthday parties we get invited too!

This very cool App has been designed by a husband and wife team right here in Australia and currently it is doing very well at trending itself! Well Done guys!! Below are just a few facts that might interest you.

So if you need some help to sift through the mountain of potential items for your children or friends and family download this app today!

Also just a side note to let you know that Little Crew for your iPad is on it's way too!

Little Crew Facts

108

Countries

1,484

iPhone app downloads

14,108

Readers

31,240

Articles read

Brynne Edelsten - What The Judges Said - D.W.T.S. Australia - 2011

I didn't watch this show and now I am glad I didn't!

Dancing With The Stars judges and hosts should be ashamed of

themselves! How low do you need to go to get ratings?! From the tit

and ass jokes to the Dad and uncoordinated jokes.

Those laughing should be ashamed of themselves and I won't be watching

a TV show that uses people this way to drag them through the mud to

win ratings...PIGS!

Coffee, Cup Cakes, Cutlets & A Computer!

WOW! Mothers Day this year was wonderful! This is the first time in 10 years that my husband hasn't had to work as he changed industries late last year and I have to say we are loving all the extra time we get to spend with him! He use to work in hospitality as a Restaurant Manager and Mother's Day is one of their biggest grossing days so there was never any chance he would get it off in the past but now he does!

I was woken up to lovely presents, a cup of coffee and bacon and eggs for a late breakfast but not quite brunch. Mason and Airlie brought me presents for the Mother's Day Stall at school and they did a pretty good job. Airlie chose a writing set, a keyring and a bath bomb, while Mason purchase me a Worlds Best Mum compendium that has a calculator and note pad inside, chocolates & a bath bomb too.

Then out came this white box and it was filled with beautiful cupcakes they had especially ordered for me...awwww

I was more then happy with that and then they pulled out and even bigger box and other things which turned out to be a computer tower that my husband had ordered to be made just so I could blog on it! I have a really bad habit of having way too many pages open at one time and the old computer would groan at me even before I turned it on.

Adrian (that's my husband's name) just thought we would use the old screen but We decided or should I say I suggested we take a trip into town and see if we could find one so the kids could continue to use the old computer for homework and playing basic games on.

My next post will show my Biggest Mother's Day present EVER

I was also cooked a lovely dinner by Adrian and he surprised me with lamb cutlets and good old fashioned veggies. This was special because I use to eat lamb cutlets a lot as a child but these days they are just so expensive so I never buy them so it was a real treat. Thanks Babe xx

Thank You Mason, Airlie, Aston and Adrian. I appreciate your lovely gifts and Love love love love you guys xxx