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The Young and the Fearless

May 16

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I am amazed, no, astounded by what young Australian teen Jessica Watson has achieved. At the tender age of 16 this brave young girl has single handedly circumnavigated the globe. She is truly an inspiration to men and women of all ages.

However, the fact that we are more impressed by this feat of courage and endurance because of Jessica’s age and gender, is interesting. When you think about it, that is perhaps the least surprising part of this story.

Looking back over not just Australian but world history there are numerous examples of the courage, tenacity and fearlessness of the young, both male and female. Joan of Arc, led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years’ War. Joan began her crusade at 16. Anne Frank, even when she was in hiding, never doubted the fact she would get out alive.

In World War I Britain’s MI5 used young teenage girl guides to pass on classified information. Also, not uncommon during WW I, was the attempt by young boys of 15 and 16 to enlist in the army. And sadly millions, not a lot older than Jessica, have fought and died in wars.

The young by nature are fearless. This fearlessness doesn’t always have a happy ending however. The under 25yr demographic has the highest number of deaths caused by misadventure. Jessica’s journey may well have ended tragically.

The risks were great. But Jessica, even after an early mishap, showed no signs of giving up. Against the odds she fulfilled her ambitious dream to sail around the world. Why? Because she is 16 years old.

If Jessica had followed the advice of the many who cautioned against this trip, and delayed her adventure for several years, it may have been too late. She too may have become infected with the fear epidemic that is rampant among those older and wiser.

So congratulations Jessica, you aren’t the first young person to show amazing courage and endurance in the face of adversity and you won’t be the last. The exhuberance, innocence and fearlessness of youth paved the way for this epic adventure.

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Keeping Warm on a Budget

May 14

Posted by admin in Green and Clean | 2 Comments

Now that the weather is cooling down it’s time think about some smart ways to keep warm without blowing your budget. After doing a bit of research, I have come up with a few suggestions.

  1. Insulate. Even if you missed out on the rebates, do it anyway. It can save you up to 40% on heat loss.
  2. Prevent heat escaping through glass. Make sure you have curtains or window coverings that are capable of preventing heat loss.
  3. Open the curtains on your north facing windows early to capture the sun’s heat and be sure to close any window coverings before sunset. fireplace
  4. If you cook with electricity try not to use the range-hood fan. Let your house benefit from this extra heating, don’t pump it outside.
  5. Close doors to the rooms and areas of the house where you spend the least time. Only heat rooms where you are spending most of your time.
  6. Use efficient heating. Gas heaters are great for large rooms. They are energy efficient and heat up space very quickly. Avoid fan heaters; they use loads of energy and are very inefficient unless you are sitting over them.
  7. Fill the gaps around windows or doors to prevent heat loss. Use material snakes or rolled up towels to plug gaps under external doors.
  8. Have throw rugs on the lounges through winter. Cover up instead of turning the heat up.
  9. Dress warmly. I have even been known to put my dressing gown on over my clothes on a winter night. Looks a bit daggy but it keeps me snug. Ugg Boots are a great investment too (Wool lining ONLY -synthetic lining…pooh – they pong after a very short time).
  10.  Keep the hot drinks coming. Nothing beats heating from the inside.

Good luck keeping the chill out this winter. Remember worse comes to worse you can always go to bed early and snuggle up with the one you love!

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Marvellous Madonna

May 8

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Looking at maternity clothes these days, I am amazed at how beautiful and fashionable they are. How gorgeous pregnant women can and do look. When I was pregnant many moons ago I remember wearing loose fitting clothing that touched you everywhere and fit you nowhere. Shapeless, tent-like articles whose sole role was to hide your bulging belly from the rest of the world.

Their style, what style? How do you stylise two pieces of cloth sewn down each side and across the top with holes left for the neck and arms. If dresses, they had length enough to reach the knee and if a top this flexible design was merely shortened. I’m also pretty sure they were one size fits all. Ah…and who can forget the pants? Again the shapeless style was favoured; the trouser leg offering the observer no inkling of the shape of  the leg beneath.

From the moment you felt the necessity to don maternity wear it was as if you had suddenly become enveloped by Harry Potter’s invisibility blanket. Not that those around were unable to see your physical presence, it’s more that they couldn’t or weren’t able to see the real you. A beautiful, feminine, attractive female in the loveliest time of her life. Instead what they saw was a sexless creature draped in a sack who felt about as attractive as a sack of potatoes.

And to make it worse, every time you went out all the women around appeared oh so attractive in comparison. Dressed in the latest fashion, all astonishingly slim, or so it seemed, while you dragged yourself around in a daggy, over-sized t-shirt, or shapeless dress feeling invisible and wanting to disappear from the sight of the other well dressed women around you.

Thankfully, pregnant women today can dress in the latest fashions. I may have missed out on wearing the lovely, beautifully designed maternity wear now available but at least my younger sister and my daughters have the opportunity to feel as they should at this special time.

So a big thank you to all those caring, imaginative designers of maternity wear. I just love the maternity fashions around now and am so glad that the pregnant girls out there can proudly hold their head up, chest and belly out  and show the world that they are more beautiful than ever.

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Beat Your Worry Addiction

May 7

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smell-roses

Recently I was introduced to a wonderful new book, well new to me, called The Power of Now. This is not a book review or free plug for the book, I simply want to share with you the effect it has had on me.

Before I go on, I guess I need to reveal my personality type. I am a veteran worrier. If I have nothing to worry about I look for something to fill my worry void. This habit was becoming  really tiresome…exhausting and I was so over it.

I am not saying I rarely worry now I still can be a bit worrisome but compared to how I have been in the past, I am, what you might say, a reformed person! The Power of Now provided techniques that enabled me to be less absorbed in future “fears” and past “regrets”  and more focused on the present moment.  It does this through an approach which is as old as time but often overlooked these days, common sense.

By appealing to my common sense, by logically arguing for living in the present I was gradually convinced to give it a try. So over the last couple of months I have been reading, absorbing and implementing the techniques into my everyday life.

The main technique I use is monitoring the thoughts I am having as soon as I notice that old familiar churn in the belly. It’s like I physically jump back but really it’s a mental leap. I observe, as if outside myself, the thoughts that have arisen to spark the fear. I look and think “oh yeah, that old fear trying to break through” or “oh, that bad memory slipping in again”.

I become aware of what my mind is doing, the fear that it is attempting to create and because I am fully aware that it is my own thoughts trying to pull me out of the present, I can now go “no thanks, not interested”. I have made a decision that I want to be here, right here, right now.  As a matter of fact that is exactly what I say to myself as soon as I notice the churn.

The book points out, and rightly so, that we waste so much time visualising, planning, fearing the future, we fail to notice that the present moment is slipping by and we are not giving it our full attention. Which, as this book correctly emphasises, is just plain insane.

Why? because there is no future yet…the past is surely gone, never to return…there is only NOW, right this minute, this second. And right now, 99% of the time, all is OK.

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New Wave Eating

May 5

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I have recently become a fish eating vegetarian. I don’t know how it happened, I just seemed to fall into it. It certainly wasn’t a moral choice based on animal cruelty, nor was it a protest against global warming. I don’t recall giving it a whole lot of thought, although I have to say, the idea has appealed to me for a long time. I guess having decided a while ago to not eat pigs and wanting only to eat free range chickens, there must have been a burgeoning sympathy with animals brewing, but I really hadn’t explored it.

The trigger came recently and as it often does, as a result of observation and experience. We were staying in the home of a close family member who had adopted this way of eating and we ate what they ate because we had no choice. There were no lectures on the virtues of vegetarianism or discussion of animal cruelty (which was their motivation).  What I discovered, quite incidentally, was that the food was really appealing to me, more so than my regular diet. Not only that, I felt good after eating it.

So I guess my motivation can best be defined as self interest. But wait, surely I can tweak something noble from this revelation. Yes I can. I just watched a show called Talking Heads, a one on one interview program with people of note as guests. Today’s guest was Christine Townend, the amazing woman who started Animal Liberation. During the program video was shown of agribusiness in action. It was horrifying…as I was watching I was thinking ‘oh, what a great decision I have made!’

Yes all well and good, except another more persistent, disconcerting voice was saying ‘why has it taken me so long…where have I been?’ The answer, right here with my head in the sand, not willing to face the reality of where my food was coming from and worse, how it came to be in that clean polyurethane tray, wrapped in that clean clear plastic.

Conclusion: Although I can’t hijack animal cruelty as the motivation for changing my eating habits, I am glad I have. Also, in the future I hope I keep a closer, more discerning eye on the world around me than I have in the past.

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‘Cause Children Come With No Instruction Manual

May 4

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ewanFor those of you who are grappling with the tantrum throwing toddler, the petulant preschooler or a nappy wearing night owl, help is now a click away. The Raising Children Network has come to your rescue.

How I would have loved this website when my precious bundles were little! This brilliant website looks at most aspects of child development and offers realistic and practical suggestions to tackle everyday issues faced by parents.

There are solutions for dealing with common problems relating to behaviour, nutrition, play and sleep. They have even taken the trouble to collate essential parenting information so that you can download a pdf booklet according to the child’s stage of development.

There is also a section for children with special needs. Good practical information for parents and families for children with disabilities. There is also a forum to help you connect to other mums.

This website is such a valuable resource for mums, new and old and also I imagine, grandmothers. Sadly, women often find themselves isolated and lacking support due to the nature of today’s busy lifestyle.

Subsequently much of the child rearing knowledge that once was passed easily from mother to daughter, friend to friend and neighbour to neighbour has been lost or is not readily accessible to many mums today. This site has been constucted in collaboration with leading child care experts and is funded by the federal government. So expansive, so easy to navigate, so essential!

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Reducing our Carbon Footprint

May 3

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coal fired power station

coal fired power station

Rather than relying on government to take the lead for us in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions,  it is time to take personal action. Luckily, there are already numerous ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint. For instance, by installing solar hot water and if possible, solar panels, by offsetting personal carbon creation by purchasing carbon credits or offsetting our power usage by opting for green power.

In Australia, most of the electricity companies now offer consumers the option to switch to green power. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the power you use will come from renewable sources, it is likely to still be produced by burning coal. The extra you pay for your energy is used by your power supplier to either invest  in renewable energy or to purchase carbon credits on your behalf. If you would rather be in charge of your own project to reduce your carbon emissions, you can purchase them as you like from numerous creditable agencies. There is even a means of offsetting the carbon produced by your car.

If we all took responsibility for our carbon emissions and made an effort to reduce our personal footprint, we wouldn’t feel so powerless and dependent on our governments. Our love affair with unrestrained power guzzling needs to addressed, not by government, but by us as individuals. And sooner, rather than later.

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Funding for Mental Illness at last!

May 2

Posted by admin in Rant 'n Rave | 1 Comment

One of the positives to come from the past couple of weeks in Australian politics was the announcement that a portion of the new federal government health funding package will be put towards services and assistance for the mentally ill. It is a sad but true fact that there are many Australians suffering from various types of psychological conditions.

Families have for too long had to try to cope with caring for their ill loved ones with little support from government. GPs have also had to bear an unfair burden of trying to treat those showing signs of severe anxiety and depression, often without the proper training or expertise. Many sufferers have in desperation, self medicated using Marijuana, alcohol or prescription medication with disastrous results. A significant number of the homeless have been identified as having some form of mental illness.

Our society has not been prepared physically or financially to assist those with mental illness who are having difficulty caring for themselves or their families. For too long the issue was regarded as low priority and placed in the too hard basket. I think the change in attitude to mental illness has come about due to the prevalence of drug induced psychosis and repeated psychotic episodes in many more of our young people than ever before. This new wave of sufferers has caused the powers that be to take heed and act. And act they should. How many of you know of someone grappling with some form of mental illness only receiving the professional help they need after they have reached some form of breaking point. 

I suppose we can be glad that this disgracefully underfunded health issue has finally gained some attention. Let’s just hope the bureaucrats in charge of the distribution of funding get it right and the money actually goes to where it is most needed! Find out more about mental illness.

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Charity with a Difference

May 1

Posted by admin in Sites that Shine | 1 Comment

kivaWhile I was looking for some websites to include in the ‘Charity’ category of my website I came across this newish site that is quite different  to the type of charities we are accustomed to seeing. The interesting thing about the Kiva charity is that it is not really a charity in the truest sense of the word. Yes, it is a not for profit organisation that seeks to improve the lives of those living in poverty, but it differs from others in that it actually helps people in dire need help themselves.

It works on the premise that most who find themselves facing severe hardship have an overwhelming desire to be the instrument of their own salvation, so to speak. Rather than providing the usual necessities of life to those in need, it offers instead a means of helping them to, through their own ideas and initiative, create a business or other means to support themselves and their family. 

The way Kiva achieves this is by harnessing the generosity of those in better circumstances, via their website. Through this great website, people who want to help those less fortunate than themselves can now loan funds to someone in poverty who wishes to start up their own business. When the business becomes viable the owner actually repays the loan. The benefactor then has the option to retrieve the funds lent or re-loan the money to another needy recipient.

The Kiva site provides a detailed dossier of those seeking funds so that those wishing to INVEST can choose which projects and recipients they would like to contribute to. Loans can be from as little as $25. As of November 2009, Kiva has facilitated over $100 million in loans. This is mind blowing and you can imagine the impact it has on poor communities. As a citizen of the world I thought I would share this site with you, although it isn’t an Australian initiative, Australians can still get involved. The Kiva website collects funds via PayPal so you can be sure that your personal details are safe.

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Deferral of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and No Rebates for Solar Panels

Apr 30

Posted by admin in Green and Clean | No Comments

Although the Australian Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme has been put on hold, there are many things that we, as individuals, can do to limit green house gas emissions. My neighbour for example, has just installed a 2 kw solar power system which he thinks will pay for itself in a few years. Considering the rebates that are still available, I think it is a great idea and it has motivated me to plan to install one as well in the not too distant future. I mean if we now have a breathing space of 3 years till the tax from carbon reduction schemes comes in, this window offers a great opportunity to get a system installed before electricity prices really go through the roof, as predicted.

Hold the press, I have just tried to see which rebates are still available for those who wish to install a small solar power system and it is very confusing. It seems the Federal government have now closed the previous generous $8000 rebate scheme and it is now through a system of RECs where there is an opportunity to purchase units at a reduced price.  State governments have systems of buyback or credits if you remain linked into the main power grid. This could add up to around $1500 a year for a small 1.5kw system apparently. Maybe my plan for a small solar power system is further away than I thought.

If the Government is planning to defer the implementation of an ETS I think it is only fair that a rebate system to encourage home owners to install modest solar power systems should be re-introduced, so at least individuals can do their bit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Original Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Apr 26

Posted by admin in Ethical Shopping | No Comments

Mother’s Day is almost here and you haven’t a clue what to buy her. What do you get the mum who seems to have everything? Wouldn’t it be great to buy mum something that she could treasure, something unique and original that didn’t cost the earth. And speaking of the earth…wouldn’t it be great if your original and unique gift didn’t cost the earth environmentally either. And wouldn’t it be great if the gift actually made a positive difference to the life of the person who made it.

Too hard, I hear you mutter? Wrong…too easy! Australia now has many Fairtrade online stores who between them offer a huge array of gorgeous and absolutely unique, hand crafted gifts, jewellery and homewares that will enchant any mum or mother in law. But mum won’t be the only one who will enjoy such a gift, you, the buyer, will also feel wonderful for making such an ethical purchase. The Helpmesis website have a category in their green section for fairtrade shops. Anyway am off to do some mother’s day shopping of my own and practice what I preach!

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Australian Online Shopping

Apr 24

Posted by admin in Shopping Online | No Comments

Australian Online Shopping 

Click on this image to access Australia’s best online shopping

 

 

Australian Online Shopping Sites Featured On New Portal

HelpMeSis.com.au is a brand new website that acts as a portal featuring the very best Australian online shopping sites and information websites. The comprehensive and well-researched website has been 2 years in the making and saves women valuable time and frustration by only showing the best and most relevant websites in each of the many categories.

After 2 years of meticulous research and web development, HelpMeSis.com.au was officially launched in Sydney on 1 January 2010. This comprehensive website acts as a useful portal for busy Australian women, showing them the very best Australian online shopping sites and information websites.

The extensive and informative guide to Australia’s best and most relevant websites was created to help time-poor women find quality products, information and services quickly and easily.

Its launch was the culmination of two years of labour by former high school teacher Veronica Ryan.

“Over the past few years, I have visited and revisited many thousands of Australian websites and have handpicked hundreds of the very best to be included in the HelpMeSis website,” said Ms Ryan. “I have chosen these websites for their overall quality, integrity and security and their usefulness and relevance to Australian women,” she said.

The website listings and reviews have been organised into logical categories. Along with a logo, name, link to the site and description of products and services, Ms Ryan has also included practical details such as each company’s ABN and shipping information for shopping websites.

“To have all this information available on one website means women no longer need to visit dozens of individual websites first to find out exactly what they offer and whether they provide online shopping and Australia-wide shipping. They can compare all of this on the HelpMeSis website and only visit the most relevant website, saving them a great deal of time,” said Ms Ryan.

The manual selection process for included websites, together with the navigational simplicity of the portal, its sheer comprehensiveness, detailed information and overall relevance to Australian women, sets HelpMeSis apart from other online directories.

In addition to Australian shopping websites, the HelpMeSis portal also includes a number of themed information sections. A ‘Green Guide‘ offers a great deal of information about green products and services and links to quality businesses that sell natural Australian organic products. The ‘Useful Information‘ section provides answers to many common queries Australian women have. A complete ‘Parenting‘ and baby shopping section gives links to Australian stores specialising in quality parenting & baby products and to sites offering expert information and advice for parents.

Other noteworthy sections on the HelpMeSis website include a ‘Health and Fitness‘ section and a ‘Leisure‘ section, which offers links to websites providing What’s On information for all Australian capital cities and the Gold Coast. The site further features a blog spot and people can sign up to receive an informative monthly HelpMeSis newsletter.

Men needn’t feel left out either, as Ms Ryan has also launched a ‘brother’ site, aptly named HelpMeBro.com.au where men can shop online at the best Australian online shopping sites. This guys-only site has many of the features of the women’s site but has been styled for men and doesn’t include any of the ‘girly’ content.

To find out more, please visit the HelpMeSis and HelpMeBro websites.

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Shopping Online Safely

Dec 14

Posted by admin in Shopping Online | No Comments

We have all heard horror stories about online shopping, but how can we avoid becoming just another victim? It’s easier than you think. My first suggestion is shop within your own country when possible. Why? Because online stores in Australia must abide by the fair trading laws of Australia and the states where the business operates from. If you shop overseas and you feel you a have legitimate dispute you have no legal recourse as you are not a citizen and consumer protection laws here do not protect you against unlawful practices overseas. 

My second suggestion is that you always check the security provisions in place in the store you are planning to buy from. Thirdly, Before disclosing your credit card details be sure you are in a secure environment. Is there a padlock in the address area or in the bottom right of the screen? Does the address begin with https instead of the usual http? Have you been diverted to a secure gateway eg. PayPal or a bank gateway? Before you purchase it is also advisable that you are aware of the store’s returns policy.

Finally and very importantly always make sure your computer has the best anti virus software you can get and be sure that it is kept updated. For more information read the helpmesis safe shopping guide on the helpmesis website.

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